


Blood Rose

by Rapey Lemons (Rapey_Lemons)



Category: RWBY
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-29
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2017-12-30 19:51:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 64
Words: 197,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1022725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rapey_Lemons/pseuds/Rapey%20Lemons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A darker, more twisted version of Ruby. A version that lusts for power and control and violence and is nearly soulless. Heartbreak at every turn. Contains lots of plot and gratuitous violence. At least one update every day. This is basically the alternate upload site in case FF does a wipe or something. FF link(updated a bit earlier than this): http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9779077/1/Blood-Rose</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Little Fun

**Warning: This chapter is violent. Skim the violent areas and skip to the next paragraph for plot if you do not wish to read them. This warning will only appear in applicable chapters.**

* * *

Velvet Scarlatina was happy.

She hadn't been this happy in quite a while. As a rabbit faunus, she was picked on and bullied when the teachers weren't looking, and even then a lot of her bullies weren't even punished for the outright racist remarks they made about her physical features or her being a dumb animal. So when a particularly nasty instigator was caught red-handed while pulling on her ears, Velvet's heart nearly soared with joy as the teacher hauled the student off for detention. Maybe no difference would be made in the long run, but for now, Velvet's immediate problems were solved.

Her rabbit ears twitching with excitement, she bounded down the hall on strong legs as she raced to go tell her friend the news. Velvet was by no means a weakling, considering her acceptance into Beacon and her beast heritage, but as one of the ambassadors for the Rabbit faunus she had to look harmless and sweet. She also knew that was only part of the reason for her meekness: she just wasn't very confrontational and was actually very kind and passive by nature.

That didn't stop her, however, from kicking out fiercely as something slammed into her side and knocked the air out of her lungs. Her knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground as she clutched her stomach, wheezing and trying to draw a breath. Another blow rained down from above, and she managed to glimpse a flash of color before the object brutally slammed into the side of her face, wrenching her neck to the side and shattering her jaw.

Nearly unconscious and unable to move her head, Velvet could only stare at the floor passing by her as her assailant dragged her down a small corridor and into an unmarked room. There, Velvet was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground and had her wrists tied and eyes blindfolded.

A sudden line of burning pain ran down her chest as something sharp sliced down her uniform and into her skin. Her layers of clothing were peeled off as her attacker leaned in and began kissing and licking the hollow at Velvet's throat. A decidedly feminine body pressed down against her body as the assailant's hands began touching and roaming. Velvet, injured as she was, could only whimper and then scream as another slice came down, cutting a line diagonally across her stomach.

More stabs and slicing came as her forced lover leaned down in between each injury to kiss each cut on her belly and then stimulate her entrance. Small hands, lubricated with blood, circled the nubs of Velvet's breasts. The assailant's body pressed against her body, gyrating her skin against Velvet's skin.

Without warning, Velvet felt her throat being torn open as small teeth savaged her skin and ripped into her veins.

The rabbit girl thrashed and mewed, each sound growing weaker as each cut grew deeper and more frantic. A growing crimson pool spread out around her and smeared her limbs. Even as her vision and mind faded, she heard a moan of ecstasy and pleasure as her assaulter spasmed and released, adding to the growing puddle of fluid surrounding them...


	2. Shaken Up

Yang had been uncharacteristically quiet that morning.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?" Ruby chirped.

"It's nothing, sis. I'll tell you guys later."

Yang returned to her brooding mood as her team members looked at each other and shrugged.

* * *

"And so, the brave hunters carved out a niche in the world for us humans to live in. Now, before we all go, I'd like to say a few words to everyone."

Pausing for breath, Professor Port looked around.

"Yesterday afternoon, a student was attacked in one of the hallways near section 2A. I want you all to be careful, and I'd like to point out that even the strongest aura users can be caught unawares and taken down with a surprise attack. Be vigilant in these troubled times, students. Class dismissed!"

After he finished speaking, a loud roar built up as students began talking and headed for the exit. Gossip spread and rumors formed, but the four members of Team RWBY took no part in this as Yang ushered them towards the back exit, away from the lunchroom.

"Where are we going?" Weiss asked.

"You guys go back to our room, I want to have a meeting. I'll grab something for us to eat, what do you guys want?"

"I'll have some pasta! Am I in trouble?" Ruby said.

"No sis, this meeting is for everyone. Weiss, Blake, what do you two want?"

"I'm not too hungry, just get me a salad," Weiss said.

Face buried in her book, Blake muttered something about fish and rice.

Yang nodded to the three and ran off to the cafeteria.

Ruby twirled her weapon as they walked down the hall. "I wonder what that was about."

Blake shrugged as she read her book, while Weiss had a thoughtful look on face.

"Do you think it had anything to do with what Professor Port was talking about?" Weiss asked.

"We'll see," said Blake.

* * *

Rhythmic thumps echoed through the room as Yang gave her punching bag a beating. Her food was untouched and a scowl was on her face. Ruby was chewing her pasta as she watched Yang pound the sand-filled sack. Weiss looked a bit upset and wasn't eating, while Blake had her head in her book and ate her fish without watching them.

Yang turned around and addressed them.

"Alright guys, do you know about the attack Professor Peter was talking about?"

"Professor Port is the correct way of addressing him, Yang," Weiss scolded.

Yang waved her off and continued talking.

"I overheard some of the teachers whispering about what happened. Did you guys know that Velvet Scarlatina was the person attacked?"

"The bunny girl?" Ruby asked.

"She's a rabbit, not a bunny," Blake said. She had finally put down her book and was looking at Yang with an interested expression.

"Yeah, that's the one. Apparently - guys, you should probably stop eating for a sec - the attack was incredibly violent. Velvet had her throat ripped out, her right arm was almost torn off, her thigh was cut to the bone, she suffered huge blood loss, her stomach was ripped open, and some of her organs had _bites_  taken out of them."

Weiss had put down her salad and was looking paler than usual. Blake's mouth was open in an o-shape as she stared with wide eyes at Yang. Ruby continued to eat her pasta as she glanced at her teammates.

"What's worse, though, is the that fact that while she was being tortured"-Yang leaned in-"she was being sexually assaulted."

Weiss gasped and dropped her fork. Blake had a fury in her expression that Yang had never seen before, while Ruby sat there with a bland look on her face.

"Are you sure they said that?" Weiss asked, with a shocked visage. At the same time, Blake asked, "Do they know who did it?"

Yang shook her head and said no to both questions.

Ruby quietly asked, "Is Velvet still alive?"

Yang finally was able to put a small smile on her face and answer, "Yes, amazingly she managed to survive. She's getting patched up at the hospital here in our school. Faunus sure are pretty tough."

"Do you think we could visit her?" Blake inquired.

Yang shrugged. "Maybe when she regains consciousness, but I don't know how much she'd be able to tell you after going through such a traumatic event."

Blake fell silent and digested this information.

"Why do you think they haven't told any of the students about what actually happened?" Ruby asked.

"They probably don't want to incite panic and have students dropping out of this school," Weiss answered. "The main point though, is that are we safe?"

"I don't think we'll be targeted," Ruby said confidently. "We're all pretty strong and we can take care of ourselves."

"What makes you so sure?" asked Weiss. "Remember what Professor Port said? Even the strongest aura users can be attacked while their guard is lowered."

Yang clapped her hands. "So, back to the point I was trying to talk to you guys about. I want you guys to stay in areas with more people, and I want you guys to keep your auras up at all times."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "That's going to be pretty tiring, Yang."

Yang grinned. "Exactly. It serves as training for you guys and you'll be safe. Two birds with one stone. Just make sure not to tire yourself out too much. Alright, that's all I have to say. Anyone want to say anything else?"

The girls quietly murmured dissent and sat there in silence, none of them eating.

* * *

**NOTE: I'm sorry if the action was a bit lacking in this chapter, but it will pick up in the next one. I already have quite a few chapters written out! I just have to sort them and edit them for clarity and cohesiveness.**


	3. An Attempt

It had been a few days now. The contentment and fulfillment from Ruby's previous indulgence had worn off quickly, especially upon finding out that the bunny hadn't died. Ruby had greatly underestimated how strong faunus were. Any human would have died from the amount of injuries the faunus had sustained. Although Velvet probably wouldn't remember much, Ruby was still worried.  _There must be a way I could get rid of her_ , Ruby thought.  _Maybe I'll sabotage her life-support machines_. Ruby liked that plan.

It was late at night. Yang and Blake were back in her room, giggling drunkenly over a few bottles of wine Yang had managed to sneak in, and trying to get Weiss to drink with them. Weiss was trying to study and getting annoyed. All of them were occupied, and thus no one really cared when Ruby said that she had to go get something from her locker.

As Ruby walked through the school, she noticed that most people had their auras up. After Yang had called the group meeting, she had then gone to spread her advice out to other students. The students capable of keeping their auras up were nearly always glowing, while those who had weaker auras were usually always near friends.

Ruby frowned inwardly as she realized that her pool of potential victims had decreased dramatically. Sure, she could smash through someone's aura or subdue a few people, but it was harder to keep things quiet, and smashing through auras usually damaged the victim too much. She sighed and continued walking. Before going to the hospital wing, she stopped by her locker and picked up her weapon, not bothering to load up ammo. She had to keep things quiet.

Upon reaching the doorway of the hospital room, she froze and listened in. There was lots of shouting and arguing occurring, and she didn't want to interrupt anything important. Instead, she pressed her ear to the door and remained silent.

"What do you mean I can't question her? Of course I can! This is a high profile incident that could shut down Beacon, and I need to ask her for anything she's seen before she forgets! You, as headmaster, should know the importance of this and be supporting me!"

There was a cacophony of shouting as nurses tried to assert their opinions. A sharp voice cut through the other voices, quieting them.

"Nurses, please calm down. Everest, she is currently recuperating and barely able to talk. Her jaw is broken and she has severe blood loss. She has just been stabilized and is currently unconscious. I know you want to capture the villain behind this, but she needs her rest. If you come with me I can get you a place to stay, and perhaps in a few days we can talk to her."

Ruby heard some more grumbles, but it seemed that Everest had accepted Professor Ozpin's reasoning. Realizing that they were about to leave, Ruby backed away from the door and into a shadowed corner. Ozpin and Everest filed out, while some of the nurses also left.

Now was probably her best chance. The only nurses left were the night shift ones. Quietly opening the door, she was ecstatic when she realized that nobody was at the help desk. Now she wouldn't have the record of her visit drawing attention to her. Creeping through the hallway, she thanked the gods again upon realizing that the night shift nurses were congregated in the conference room and socializing.

Walking down the hallway more confidently now, she scanned the names on the door until she found Velvet Scarlatina's room. The well-oiled hinge of the door did not creak as Ruby turns the doorknob and walked into the darkened room, shutting the door behind her. The only source of illumination was the light of the moon, coming from a small window behind her, so the room was almost completely dark. Velvet was snoring softly, sound asleep. Glancing around, Ruby saw that Velvet wasn't attached to any life-support machines.  _It's the faunus healing ability_ , Ruby realized. Velvet had recovered faster than she had expected, and Ruby had no backup plan for making Velvet's death look like an emergency. _  
_

Ruby realized that she had to do it the the old-fashioned way. She took out her weapon and sent a tiny pulse of aura to partially unfold it and expose the blade. The whirs and clicks echoed softly in the small room, but Velvet's ears twitched anyway and she bolted upright, clutching her thin blanket and glancing around.

"Hello? Who's there?"

Ruby was nearly within striking distance when Velvet finally looked behind her. Both of them froze for a fraction of a second, eyes staring into each other's, before Velvet began to scream. Ruby was swinging her weapon instantly, but now that the faunus was aware of Ruby's location, Velvet landed a lightning-fast and powerful kick that struck Ruby's left bicep directly, eliciting a muffled grunt and deadening Ruby's arm and fingers, causing her to drop her weapon.

Ruby could barely see anything as Velvet scooted off the bed and out of the illumination of the window. Unfortunately for Ruby, faunus had extremely good night vision and Velvet was no exception. Ruby frantically searched for her weapon with her right hand, trying to find it before Velvet could escape. However, when she finally found it and looked up, Velvet was in mid-air, launching a spinning kick with her powerful legs that slammed into Ruby's chest and sent Ruby flying back into the shelves of medical equipment.

Glass shards and metal instruments flew everywhere, and at that moment Ruby was glad that her aura protected her against those sharp pieces. Groaning, she sat up and watched as Velvet flew out the door, crying for help.

Ruby had to make a quick exit. Smashing her scythe into the window, she scraped out the sharp glass from the frame before jumping through. On the way down, Ruby stabbed her the blade of her scythe into the wall, slowing her down before impacting the ground. There was now a deep, long gouge in the outside of the building from the 3rd floor to the first floor, but there was nothing Ruby could do about it now.

Running in the bushes outside of the school buildings, she circled the main building and jumped the wall into the courtyard. She entered through one of the courtyard doors and slowed down, calming herself and walking casually.

Yang and Blake were drunkenly arguing about who's weapon was better, while Weiss had earplugs in and was trying to focus on her schoolwork. They looked at Ruby as Ruby walked in.

"Did ya get what ya needed, my cute little sis?" Yang smiled as she drunkenly slurred. Blake had collapsed onto her shoulder and was trying to hug her.

"Yup! I just wanted get my  _sweetheart_." Ruby smiled as she cuddled her weapon. She went to the bathroom to take a shower and prepare for bed.

"Sometimes, I think she's a little too obsessed with that weapon of hers," Yang whispered conspiratorially to Blake.

Blake just giggled and cuddled closer to Yang, planting a discrete kiss on her collarbone and giving her cheek a lick. Yang looked around, and seeing that Ruby was in the shower and Weiss had fallen asleep on her textbook, she turned around, straddling Blake, and returned the cat girl's kiss. Blake had begun to squirm a hand under Yang's clothes when Ruby came back out of the bathroom. Giving a little sigh, they quickly broke apart and pretended that nothing was happening.

Tomorrow was Saturday, and they could sneak off together for some more alone time.

* * *

**Note: So, more action here :). These are taking an awful long time to write, but I am thoroughly enjoying myself. There will definitely be more Blake x Yang scenes in the future.**


	4. Where is love?

**Warning: This chapter contains a bit of lemon.**

* * *

Her assassination attempt had failed. Ruby was mopey and depressed, and her team members had noticed. They tried various things to cheer her up, from new headphones to her favorite foods, but they didn't realize that Ruby just needed someone to be with her, someone to love, and Ruby herself was silent on that topic.

A week after her failed attempt, Ruby was beginning to crack.  _Maybe Yang or Blake or Weiss will love me,_  she thought to herself. Maybe one of them could fill that hole in her heart and she wouldn't have to kill people anymore.  _Maybe, maybes, maybe. I need to go talk to them._

It was Saturday morning, and Blake had already gotten up and left to get food. Yang was snoring on her bed, while Weiss was taking a shower. Ruby walked over to Yang and shook her shoulder gently.

"Hey, Yang?"

"Yeah, sis?" she muttered tiredly. "Can't you let me sleep a little bit longer?"

"I will. Just let me ask you something. Do you love me?" Ruby, dressed in her thin, stretchy top pajamas and boy shorts, had crawled into Yang's bed and was gently caressing Yang's hard stomach.

"Stop it! That tickles!" Yang murmured. "Of course I love you! You're my favorite little sister."

Ruby let out a little sigh and hugged Yang closer. That wasn't the answer she was looking for, but how much could Ruby hope for? They had been adoptive sisters for years now, and Yang had always treated her as a real, biological sister. There was no hope of that love developing into something even deeper.

* * *

Yang passionately kissed Blake as they rolled around in one of the more secluded gardens of the school. It was just after lunch, and Yang had told Ruby and Weiss that she was going to hang out with friends.  _That wasn't a lie, really_ , Yang told herself as she flipped herself on top of Blake. There was rarely a moment they could be alone together, and so this Saturday hangout time had become something of a regular occurrence. They weren't really sure how others would react to their same sex relationship, so they kept their affections mostly under wrap and hidden away.

Blake began stripping off her clothes even as they continued to kiss, their tongues sliding against each other's and their hands roaming over each other's bodies. Yang reached down through Blake's shorts and began stroking Blake's soaking core, inciting small purrs as her bestial nature slipped out. At the same time, Yang reached upwards and undid the bow on Blake's head, stroking her soft, furry ears.

In one fluid motion, Yang yanked off Blake's shorts and stockings. She moved downwards and began kissing the areas around her wetness, prompting Blake to grasp her hair and push her head down into her mound. Yang obliged and began licking her slit and nibbling on her bundle of nerves, gently building Blake up to a release. Blake moaned as she shuddered, coming closer to an orgasm and grasping Yang's hair even tighter. The moment Yang began to thrust her fingers into Blake's entrance and stimulate her g-spot, Blake began to spasm and cum, locking her legs around Yang's head and holding Yang to her core. Her depths were on fire as Yang's fingers continued to relentlessly thrust and her tongue continued to lick, encouraging Blake to cry out Yang's name.

A few minutes later, Yang sat back up as Blake was eagle-spread on the ground, still twitching and smiling. Yang stripped off the rest of her clothes and leaned into Blake, giving her another kiss and holding her tight.

"C'mon Blake," Yang breathed into her ear. "It's your turn."

* * *

It was night-time. Ruby had passed the afternoon working in the training room and trying to exhaust away her depression. Walking back to her dorm room, she met Blake and Yang in hallway heading towards their suite.

"Hey Ruby, before we go to dinner, can I say something to you and Weiss?" Yang asked.

"Huh? Sure, Yang. Did something happen again?"

"No, no, nothing like that! I just want to clear something up with you and Weiss."

Ruby noticed Blake giving a discrete little hug to Yang, and Yang looking back down and smiling.

They arrived in their room and sat down on the couch, waiting for Weiss to arrive. A few minutes later, Weiss appeared, arms filled with books and paper, stumbling into the room. When Ruby got up and offered to help, Weiss smiled gratefully at her. Ruby's heart stuttered from the image of Weiss's beautiful face filling her vision, and she nearly fell flat on her face.

When Yang was sure that they were both watching, she got up, pulling Blake with her, and gave her a long kiss. Ruby's jaw dropped open while Weiss just smiled.

"Me and Blakey here don't want to hide our relationship anymore. I just wanted to be the first one to tell you guys that."

Weiss's smile only grew as she saw how much they loved each other.

Yang noticed and asked, "Weiss? Why are you smiling so much?"

"I noticed a long time ago, and I'm really glad you guys decided to go public with your feelings. Did you really think that I, Weiss Schnee, would fall asleep while studying? I'm not like Ruby here," she scoffed.

Ruby's heart grew brittle as she saw how many around her had found love. Still, she tried to be happy for them. Giving the brightest smile she could muster, Ruby exclaimed, "That's great!"

Upon hearing Ruby's acceptance, Yang smiled and kissed Blake again.

"Uhm, you guys can use one of the guest rooms to do that," Weiss pointed out.

Blake grabbed Yang's hand and smiled wickedly, dragging Yang into one of the guest rooms and shutting the door.

"We'll come down for dinner so-mmf!" Yang tried to say.

Weiss shook her head. "Come on, Ruby, let's go get some food."

* * *

"Hey Weiss, do you have anyone you like?" Ruby ventured cautiously.

To her surprise, Weiss actually began to blush and tried to hide her flushing cheeks with her collar.

"M-maybe." Weiss said.

Ruby attempted to smile and didn't delve deeper. She actually just wanted to scream and shout and cry, and she couldn't trust her voice at that moment. How did love find everyone but pass by her? She couldn't take it anymore.

"Weiss, go on without me. I just remembered that I had to do something." Ruby tried to put a neutral expression on her face, but she knew that her façade was quickly crumbling.

Weiss, still blushing and lost in her thoughts, nodded and walked on without Ruby. The moment Weiss was out of sight, Ruby sprinted to an empty classroom, ran in, and locked the door. School was over for the day, and most students were out at lunch and wouldn't return until later.

Wrapping her cloak around herself, Ruby sat in down in a corner and sobbed.

* * *

**Note: So, that was the 4th chapter. I tried making this chapter more lovey-dovey. I'm not good at writing these things. I hope it was OK. :3 Next chapter will be more... brutal.**


	5. Discovered

**Warning: This chapter is violent. Skim the violent areas and skip to the next paragraph for plot if you do not wish to read them. This warning will only appear in applicable chapters.**

* * *

Blake was sitting in the garden, enjoying the sunlight and reading a book on the warm stone bench. It was Sunday morning, and she had just woken up after an exhausting night with Yang. The sound of a cough shattered her tranquility, making her glance up and take note of her surroundings.

A man with dark hair and ordinary features stepped forward. He was wearing a light blue suit and a red tie, with a white undershirt and dress shoes.

"Professor Ozpin has requested your presence in the hospital wing. He would like to meet you there at 12 o'clock sharp. I trust you do not have other plans?"

"... No. I'll be there." Blake glanced back down at her book.

The man coughed again, making Blake grimace and look up again. "One last thing: Ozpin said that it had to deal with the incident of an assault on the faunus girl, Velvet Scarlatina."

Upon hearing this, Blake slammed her book shut and stood up.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go. It's already 11:30, I can wait a bit for Professor Ozpin."

Accepting her sudden burst of enthusiasm, the man led the way to the hospital wings.

* * *

"Hmm?"

"I said, Professor Ozpin would like to see you at 12 in the hospital! Please listen to me!"

Weiss was attempting to paint the beautiful entrance of Beacon Academy. Setting down her brush, she whirled to face the annoyance.

"What do you want?"

Startled, the woman backed up a few steps. She had brown hair and a pretty face, and was wearing a black suit with long pants, a white undershirt, a blue tie, and black heels.

She frowned. "Once again: Professor Ozpin has requested your presence in the hospital wing at 12 o'clock. It is nearly 11:50, I suggest you start walking now."

Grumbling, Weiss began packing up her supplies.

* * *

Yang grunted as she deadlifted the massive weight. Squatting down, she grabbed the bar and ignited her aura, small flames beginning to flicker on her arms. With an intake of breath, she heaved.

The door to the weightlifting room suddenly burst open, slamming into the wall and almost causing Yang to drop her weight. A frazzled young man, with red hair and wearing a disheveled shirt and tie, burst in, gasping for breath.

"I'm so sorry,you're so hard to find, and I-"

Yang growled and interrupted him. Pulling the weight up the full distance, she finished her set and gently placed the weight back onto the floor.

"Alright, let's go."

"W-wha? You don't even know what I'm here for!"

"You are sweaty and messy, and you look like you're late. You've clearly come bring me to someone or tell me something, so spit it out and let's go."

"O-ok. Ozpin wanted to see you at 12 o'clock in the hospital wing, but it's already 12:10 and we're late!"

Yang sighed, and then thought about it. This could be a fun challenge.

"Hey, do you use aura?"

"Uh, yes? Why do you ask?"

Yang grinned. "Try to keep up."

* * *

They heard her before she actually got to them. Surprised squeals and the sound of quick footsteps preceded Yang as she appeared around the corner and ran towards the reception area, where Weiss and Blake and Ozpin had been impatiently waiting. Leaving behind a trail of fire and wearing nothing but a tank top and sweatpants, Yang was one of the most beautiful sights Blake had ever seen as Yang picked her up without stopping, bent her over, and deeply kissed her.

Blake was breathless and panting when Yang broke off the kiss. Upon witnessing this scene, Ozpin merely raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

"So, what are we here for?" Weiss asked.

Ozpin motioned for them to follow him and began talking.

"Velvet Scarlatina, the student who was attacked, was nearly killed again a week ago when the attacker came back to finish her job. Velvet now remembers some details about her last encounter with the assailant, and wishes to speak with you three."

"Female? That can't be right." Weiss said. At the same time, Yang asked, "Just us three?"

Blake had a worried frown on her face and clutched Yang's hand. Yang gave her a comforting smile and squeezed back.

"Yes. She's already spoken to me, and I believe you three may want to hear this."

Opening the door to Velvet's room, Ozpin waved them in and shut the door behind him. Velvet was sitting upright on the bed, seemingly fine, but upon closer inspection it was clear that she was shivering with terror and sniffling. Ozpin gently asked Velvet to tell them what she saw.

"It was very d-dark, b-but I'm a faunus s-so I can see well in the dark, and I think I s-saw..."

* * *

They left the room arguing among themselves.

"It's crazy to suspect Ruby! Have you even seen her hurt anyone?" Yang shouted.

"Have  _you_  even  _seen_  her hunt Grimm? Yang, she scares me a lot. A few weeks ago, when we were on a training expedition, she chopped off all but an arm on a beowulf and let it crawl away for a bit. Then she took her scythe and sliced off it's snout, blinded both its eyes, and then beat the poor thing to death with the blunt end of her scythe. I didn't say anything because I thought she just really didn't like beowulves, but now..." Weiss trailed off.

Blake interjected. "It was all very hush-hush and covered up by the government, but I think that the general rumor is that her parents were killed by beowulves. Ruby survived by covering herself in her parent's blood and playing dead. Even then, she was severely injured and and barely managed send a call for help on a message sigil before collapsing. And then, as you know, Yang's family adopted her."

Yang usually would have smiled at the last statement, but right now she was worried.

"See? Just because she kills beowulves violently doesn't mean that she hurts people!" Yang said.

"Actually," Blake interrupted again, "The torturing of animals is a common trait in murderers and psychopaths."

Yang frowned and fell silent.

"No matter what, as students of Beacon Academy, I still think that we have a responsibility to observe Ruby and see if she is responsible for these crimes. I know Ozpin didn't tell us to do anything specifically, but I think he gave us the information to make the decision ourselves," Weiss said.

Yang was extremely reluctant, but after a few minutes of arguing and guilting she had to agree with them. Walking down the hallway, Yang and Weiss were discussing how they would spy on Ruby when Blake suddenly stopped and stared. Yang and Weiss stumbled, almost tripping on Blake.

"I think I hear something." Blake said, as the bow on her head twitched and swiveled. "Follow me!"

With a sudden burst of speed, Blake dashed down the hall. Yang and Weiss gave each other a glance and raced after her.

* * *

Ruby had fallen asleep in the classroom, safe in the comforting curtain of her cloak. She had woken up at midnight and stumbled back to her dorm room, where Blake and Yang were already asleep and Weiss was about to get into bed. Ruby had muttered something about an extra credit assignment and Weiss didn't ask for details. It seemed that her friends had been growing further away from her after Ruby had realized that each of them already had their own relationships. That night she had tried to snuggle up with Yang for comfort as she sometimes did, but Ruby had realized that Blake was already sleeping with Yang. Seeing that, another crack had appeared in Ruby's ruin of a heart and Ruby returned to her own bed.

Now she knew that she had no friends anymore. She was alone and abandoned and her heart was empty and broken. She needed someone to fill it.

After her roommates had left to pursue their own leisure activities, Ruby slipped out and waited until lunchtime, when most of the students would be out getting food.

Ruby had been waiting by the bathroom for a few minutes when a cute little cat boy finally came out. This was what she was waiting for. She was so lonely, she needed someone to be with her. Swathing him in her cloak before he could react, she knotted it around his neck and choked him. Picking him up, she dashed to one of the empty classrooms.

The boy had gone unconscious after being unable to breathe, but now woke up after Ruby broke his wrist and tore it off, using the sharp piece of bone to cut through his skin. She then moved on to his knees, dismembering him piece by piece. His wailing cries finally stopped after Ruby stabbed a shard of what was once his arm bone into his throat. She gouged his eyes out and licked his nose. Firmly grasping his jaw, she licked around his mouth, savoring the taste of his skin before ripping his jawbone out of his head. This prompted another round of gurgling from the cat boy. She grasped his tongue with her fingers and sucked it and bit it off. Chewing on the tough piece of meat, she thought  _I'm finally kissing someone now_  before giggling and swallowing it. Slicing through his ribcage, she firmly grasped both edges of it and ripped his chest open. Resting her cheek against the still-beating heart in the unconscious boy's body, Ruby was glad that the sturdy constitution of the faunus let her savor the warm pulse of a living heart, something that she craved.

Blood pounding in her head and her nether regions burning with lust, she blew out a warm breath onto his heart before taking a bite of it and ripping out a chunk with her teeth. It was delicious and fulfilling. At that moment, she felt warm and comforted, heat expanding around her as if she were curled up next to the body of a lover. She let her guard down, releasing her hold on her aura and letting herself feel exposed and vulnerable. She gave a soft smile as she felt the steamy warmth of the body swirl around her, caressing her bare skin. She breathed in the delicious scent of a warm, bloody body and shuddered with ecstasy. Then, the moment passed. She ripped the heart of out his chest and prepared to take another bite.

The door exploded with a swirling of firey shotgun blasts and red, blue, and green bursts of dust-fueled explosions. Catching Ruby unawares and with her aura down, the bullet slammed into her chest and stomach, tearing through her thin dress and corset. The powerful dust explosions knocked her back and crushed her against the wall, wrenching her arm into an awkward position and shattering her left forearm. Ruby gave a small cry of pain and curled up into a ball on the ground.

Three figures stepped through the smoke and destruction.

"Ruby?" Yang gasped, seeing the red-cloaked figure bleeding out on the ground. Her heart skipped a beat upon seeing the ruined body next to Ruby.

"Oh my..." was all Weiss could say before faltering and falling to her knees, dry retching.

Blake gave a yowl of distress upon seeing the cat boy's body on the floor. With a burst of movement, Blake flashed to Ruby's side, grabbing hold of her cloak and pushing her up against the wall. Unable to form words, Blake screamed incoherently at Ruby and began smashing her repeatedly against the wall.

With a sudden flash of deep red aura, Ruby vanished from Blake's grip, leaving a behind fistful of rose petals. Yang and Weiss, standing there with shocked expressions and staring the body, did not immediately notice Ruby appear behind them and run off towards the doorway. Blake screeched at them and pointed towards the exit before chasing after Ruby.

* * *

Ruby's breath came out in small gasps and she gave out unwilling whimpers of pain. Disappearing and reappearing in bursts down the hallway, she used the recoil on her scythe to propel herself between each dash. As she moved, she wildly slashed out against the walls and ceilings of the hallway, bringing down rubble behind her to slow down her pursuers.

The people she passed by in the reception area stood still in shock as a bloody girl in bloody clothes clutching gaping wounds in her side and chest dashed past them, leaving behind a trail of blood.

Ruby was in a lot of trouble and a lot of pain. The mental anguish of allowing her friends to see her like this was repressed as she dealt with her more immediate concerns of blood loss, internal damage, and a broken arm.

Making it into the main entrance, she passed the slack-jawed receptionist and in two quick motions, sliced the hinges of the door and kicked the door down. Sunlight illuminated her as she continued to run, heading for the deep, dark forest.

* * *

**NOTE: So that's this chapter! I hope there was enough action. Some explanations: If you might have noticed, Blake is a cat faunus and she has an extremely strong reaction towards the death of another cat faunus. Thus, her behavior is not really out of character. As the more analytical and thoughtful character, she immediately realizes that Ruby is the one who perpetuated the crime and seeks to punish her first. Yang and Weiss are, understandably, confused and in shock.**


	6. Run run run

Blake growled as she paced around the edge of the forest.

By the time the three had arrived, Ruby had been long gone. They simply could not keep up with Ruby's speed and agility, and when they got to the area all that remained were a few bloodstains on the trees at the border of the forest. Clearly, Ruby had bound her wounds with her cloak to prevent much blood from leaking.

"How far do you think she could go?" Yang asked worriedly.

Weiss shrugged and continued looking into the dark copse of woods. "I got her pretty good with my dust explosions, and we both took her by surprise with her aura down. Frankly, I'm not even sure how she's still able to move."

In a blur, a group of black-suited, helmet-wearing academy guards raced past them and towards the woods. Following them was Glynda Goodwitch, who was alternating between shouting directions and glancing down at her tablet. With a final instruction, the guards disappeared into the shadowy thicket and Glynda turned back to them.

Glynda tapped her tablet, bringing up a video of Ruby covered in blood, dashing down the hallway with the trio chasing her. The video cut abruptly after Ruby collapsed the walls and floor, the screen flickering in static and then blacking out.

"What happened? You've clearly been fighting Ruby, so I sent a squad of guards to apprehend her and bring her back. The Emerald Forest is no place for a novice, even during the day."

Yang looked like she was about to cry. "W-we," she choked out, "We found out that Ruby was the one who attacked Velvet."

"What? How? Are you sure?"

Blake stepped in with an angry expression on her face. "Yes, we're  _completely_  sure," she spit out. "We found her killing another faunus, a boy this time. He's in one of the empty classrooms in section 1E."

Glynda stared at them for a second, then started quickly tapping on her tablet. "There's a body in section 1E. The assailant has gone into the Emerald Forest. I've sent ten guards after her."

A deep voice came out of the tablet. "Who was it?"

"The victim has not been identified. The assailant was Ruby Rose, first-year novice."

There was a pause.

The voice spoke again. "Understood. Do you want to keep this quiet?"

"Yes. Don't send any warnings, I don't want any nearby towns to panic. I'm sure our guards will apprehend her soon. Ruby doesn't know the forest as well as they do."

"Your choice."

The conversation ended. Glynda looked back up at the three girls, who had been listening intently to the exchange.

"Now, would you three please bring me to the site of the murder? Let my guards do the chasing, I want to hear more details about this situation."

The three reluctantly nodded and headed back into the school.

* * *

Stumbling wildly through the underbrush, Ruby's aura flickered on and off. She was nearly completely exhausted, and was unable to use her aura to dash any longer. Just keeping a hold onto her aura was nearly impossible. Walking drunkenly, she resorted to slumping on trees and resting for a bit whenever her strength failed her. Her vision was getting blurry, and the only way she was able to keep herself moving in a straight line was by following some old King Taijitu snake tracks.

A voice blared through the trees. "Stop moving! Remain where you are! We have surrounded your position and you are in our sights. Place your weapon on the ground and put your hands in the air. You have ten seconds before we fire! Ten!"

Her thoughts moved sluggishly as she tried to comprehend what was going on.

"Nine!"

Ruby's heartbeat raced, adrenaline spiking through her system as her body tried to push itself even further.

"Eight!"

With the adrenaline, Ruby's thoughts gained sudden clarity. Her vision sharpened and her injuries seemed less painful.

"Seven!"

She had to come up with a plan.

"Six!"

Her weapon had eight rounds left, the other 22 bullets had been used in her escape from Beacon.

"Five!"

She tightened her grip on the trigger as she glanced down at the snake tracks.

"Four!"

She knew what she had to do.

"Three!"

Ruby crouched as if meaning to set down her weapon. "I'm surrendering," Ruby rasped. She was sure one of her lungs was leaking.

"Alright miss, after placing your weapon on the ground put your hands up into the air."

The man on the loudspeaker cursed as Ruby suddenly moved. With three violent shots, she propelled herself to the right, straight up, and then to the left. Landing on a tree limb, her legs nearly collapsed as she aggravated her injuries. Only adrenaline and the last dregs of her aura were keeping her up now.

Taking a deep breath, she used one more shot to give herself momentum and began jumping from tree to tree. Bullets sprayed the areas where she had been moments before. Ruby gritted her teeth as she continued to move.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. Letting herself fall from a tree branch, she fell onto the ground and landed on her side. She involuntarily coughed up a bit of blood when her right lung began to fill with fluid. Moving slowly, she propped herself up onto her knees with her scythe, unable to raise her head.

Ten black-clad guards appeared one by one into the clearing Ruby was collapsed in. They began to circle her, weapons out and ready to fire, intent on making sure she didn't escape.

"Blondie, Jack, Max, Bill, move behind her and make sure she doesn't try to run for that cave entrance."

The four guards fanned out behind Ruby, blocking the dark hole in the side of the cliff.

The leader of the group brought out a pair of thin, silver-color handcuffs, his distinguishable features obscured by his helmet.

His voice sounded strangely robotic. "I am going to place these handcuffs on you. Do not move, or we will obligated to use force."

However, before he could get within arm-length distance of ruby, a loud rumbling noise began emanating from the cave entrance.

The leader turned to face this new sound. "What the-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a pair of white and black King Taijitu snakes, each a thick rope of coiled muscle at least fifty feet long and covered in gleaming armor-like scales, burst out of the cave entrance and engulfed the four guards behind Ruby before they could make a sound. Jaws snapping down, the guards were violently folded backwards in the snakes' mouths before their spines snapped and their bellies ripped open, a glimpse of colored entrails visible before the gaping maws slammed shut.

The leader swore and reached behind his back, pulling out a double-bladed sword that unfolded into a compound bow, and notched a gleaming black arrow. He turned back to tell the girl to stay put, but she was already gone. He cursed again and began shooting.

* * *

Ruby was now truly, finally on her last legs. She tripped on a rock and rolled down an incline, finally stopping upon hitting a tree. Ruby was sure that impact had just broken something else, but she ignored it and began crawling forwards.

After another 15 minutes of dragging herself along, she began to see a bit of light in the distance. Foot by foot, inch by inch, her hands grasped the grass underneath her and then the rocks and soil as she clawed herself onto the pathway of a small cottage. The windows emitted a soft glow, encouraging Ruby to continue moving.

Finally, she reached the doorstep. Bending her knees and curling up into a fetal position, she then used both legs to feebly kick at the wooden entryway of the house. After several agonizing moments, the door opened.

Ruby managed to cough out a soft protest. "No hospital... please."

And then she fainted.

* * *

**Note: Andddd that was this chapter :). Addressing some good questions in the reviews (paraphrasing):**

**_Q: Why doesn't Ruby just date someone instead of resorting to killing and cannibalism?_ **

**A: As weird as this may sound, Ruby is actually pretty innocent and childish in a lot of ways. As seen in the show, Ruby is very reluctant to approach strangers and Yang basically has to force her to talk to new people. Now, imagine hard hard it would be for Ruby to actually ask someone out? She'd have to get to know them first, learn their likes and dislikes, and _then_ decide whether she liked them or not. Meanwhile, she has three close friends who she's known for awhile now, and all three of them are pretty good-lookin'. In addition, Ruby is childish. She wants instant gratification. She can't control her urges, and she needs something to satisfy them,  _NOW_.**

_**Q: Why are you writing such sick shit?** _

**A: I think a lot of people, including myself, have some pretty dark desires. Writing these stories lets me do things in RWBY's world that I wouldn't be able to do in our world, at least not legally. And, as stated before, this is what I feel would happen if Ruby acted upon those dark desires.**

**I like questions, keep 'em coming! I also appreciate criticisms and compliments :)**


	7. Doe, a Deer

Ruby blinked groggily, sunlight filtering through the windows and bringing tears to her slitted eyes. She ached all over, the pain from the bullet wounds like sharp knives, lancing through her with every breath she took. Her left arm forearm was in a cast but she could still move her elbow and her fingers.

A gentle touch caressed her hair, fingers threading through the messy strands that were spread out on the bed.

The unexpected touch immediately woke her up. Ruby opened her eyes completely, and the first thing she saw were a pair of brown doe ears, the velvet texture lending them a soft appearance. Shifting her gaze, she was suddenly looking into a delicate, pale face, filled with big almond-shaped eyes, a little button nose, and soft and pink lips. The doe faunus' face was framed with silky, light-auburn locks, with curls that cascaded over her shoulders and down her chest.

Ruby's heart nearly stopped as she looked upon the cutest thing she had ever seen.

And then her heart started beating again, even faster before, when she remembered that she was on the run.

Before the doe faunus could react, Ruby had one hand wrapped around the doe's throat and the other gripping the bottom of her jaw. Just a small twist and Ruby would be safe. It was a shame to kill someone as beautiful as her, but Ruby couldn't risk the chance of being discovered.

However, killing her would also create questions when she stopped showing up in town...

Both of them were still, the doe faunus frozen with fright and Ruby considering her options. Looking more closely at the faunus, Ruby noticed that she was wearing a nurse's uniform: a modest white dress with short sleeves, a cute little cap on her head, and small apron that was wrapped around her waist.

The doe was the first one to talk. "H-hi, are you awake now? Y-your hair is so p-pretty, the way it goes from b-black to red at the t-tips ." She blushed and tried to look away, but Ruby's hands were still firmly grasping her small throat and jawbone.

Ruby tried to respond. "Uh, thank you?"

"C-can you let me go now?" she squeaked.

"Oops! Sorry!" Ruby exclaimed, releasing her hold on the doe's neck.

The faunus immediately backed up, tripping over her own feet and falling onto her little bottom, letting out a little gasp.

Ruby tried to get off the bed. "Here, let me help you- _unghf_ "

After temporarily forgetting about her injuries, Ruby's pain returned with a vengeance as her legs failed her and she fell off the bed, landing right next to the faunus. It was at this point that she realized she was wearing nothing but a sports bra and boy shorts. Her face flushed as she tried to stand back up.

The doe faunus had her hands over her mouth as she watched Ruby tumble off the bed. "Be careful!" she cried.

She quickly got to her feet and pulled Ruby back up and onto the bed.

Ruby said, "Thanks", and gave her an embarrassed smile.

"So, where am I?"

The doe faunus straightened out her dress and sat down on the chair next to her.

"This is my house," she said with a smile. "I live on the edge of the town. A lot of people don't really like faunus, so I live here, alone. My dad died a few years ago and left this place to me. This was the only home I had ever known, so I finished my education at one of the nursing schools and I've just begun to work as a pharmacist and nurse at the town medical center...Sorry, I seem to be rambling a little."

"Wait, how old are you?"

The faunus ducked her head and her face heated up. "I'm only 17, but I was a pretty good student so they let me skip ahead a few grades. Even though I only have a little aura, I can use it to encourage the healing of injuries, so they took me on as a nurse."

"Woaaahhhhh. That's awesome!" Ruby said in wonder. "Is that why I'm not dead?"

The doe blinked at Ruby's straightforward question. "Well, partially, but I can't take all the credit. Your aura is pretty strong, so you only needed a little of my help before you were able to pull through and start healing quickly on your own. It's only been three days, and you're already able to move. Patients with weaker auras would probably have been in bed for at least two weeks, if not more. Your left arm, however, was shattered and had a nasty compound fracture. You should refrain from using it until it heals up. Also," she said more quietly, "you kept muttering 'no hospital, please' after I brought you in, so I just treated you here. I'm glad you're okay."

Ruby realized how lucky she had been. If she had gone to anyone else, she was sure they would have ignored her and taken her to the hospital, where she would have been recognized and arrested. Immediately she began to feel depressed as she remembered her friends' horrified expressions and Blake's fury.

The doe began speaking again, breaking Ruby out of her reverie. "I can't believe I forgot to give you my name! Hi, I'm Alysonne," she said, smiling and extending her hand.

Ruby took her hand and grasped it, smiling back. "Call me... Red."

"That's an odd name, but I think it fits you pretty well," Alysonne said. "Especially considering you came to my doorstep covered in blood."

Ruby's face immediately took on a neutral expression. "I don't really want to talk about it," she said quietly.

Alysonne nodded her understanding.

"Hey, Alysonne is really long. Can I just call you Alys?" Ruby said as her smile returned.

Alys nodded again. She had been alone for many years, and there weren't many faunus who lived in human towns such as this one. Finding a companion, especially one that was so close to her own age, was unexpected and delightful. She understood Ruby's need for privacy, as a lot of her own patients had requested the same thing after traumatic experiences, so she didn't pry further.

Perhaps finally, she could make a friend.

"Alys is fine," she said, smiling and standing up. "It's nearly lunchtime, and I'm going to go make some food. Are you hungry?"

Ruby's stomach growled at the reminder of food. "Definitely, I'm starving!"

* * *

Alys had to leave right after lunch to go back to work. They had just finished a lunch of rice and vegetable soup, with Ruby eating in bed and Alys sitting next to her.

"Sorry," she said apologetically, "I've been using up my sick leave days and I need to go back to work. Do you need anything?"

Ruby immediately felt guilty. "Oh shoot, I forgot you had a job. I'll be fine, I can just sit and rest. Oh, and this might sound weird, but..."

"Yes?" Alys was hopping from foot to foot, clearly urgent to leave.

"Could you buy me some leather, fabric, and red and black dye? I think I need to patch up my ruined clothes."

"Oh! Yes, your clothes were in tatters, but I salvaged what I could. They're on the clothesline out back, wait a second, let me get them."

In a flash, Alys went out to get the clothes and came back in twenty seconds, panting.

"Here," she said, holding up what was vaguely recognizable as Ruby's cape and dress, "These are your old clothes. These," Alys raised up a pink t-shirt, folded running pants, and sneakers, "you can wear right now. I can buy you some more underclothes tonight, when I get from my shift."

Ruby smiled and thanked her, and checked the clock. "Alys! It's 1:30! When do you need to get there by?"

Alyss gasped. "I should have been arriving by now!" She threw the clothes onto the bedside table and sprinted out of the room.

 _Now, how am I supposed to put these clothes on?_  Ruby thought to herself. Sighing, she once again tried to get off the bed.

After half an hour of struggling and nearly screaming in pain, Ruby managed to put her on her sweatpants and t-shirt with her one arm. She carefully stepped off the bed, mindful of her trembling thighs, and started walking around, trying to exercise her unused muscles.

A thought suddenly shattered her calm.

_Where is my weapon? Did Alys see it?_

Ruby began panicking. Disregarding the amount of pain she was in, she stumbled around the small cottage, frantically searching for her precious High-Caliber-Sniper-Scythe. After a fruitless search around the house, she ran back to her room and tugged on her sneakers. Opening the door, she rushed outside and began retracing her the route she had escaped by. It wasn't hard, considering the large smears of blood she had left behind her while crawling her way to the door.

Walking back and forth, she noticed that she had started crawling with both hands sometime after rolling into the tree. Crouching down and combing the area carefully, she found her scythe folded up underneath a bush, looking no worse for wear. It would probably need some lubricant and a sharpening, considering the amount of use she had put it through in the past few weeks, but it was otherwise undamaged. Ruby clutched her weapon to her chest, caressing it's smooth, hard exterior, and savoring its feel.

She needed to hide it somewhere. Bringing it into Alys' small house and keeping it hidden would be an impossible task, and its discovery would raise too many questions.

Ruby thought about it for awhile, and then had an idea. She walked back up the hill she had rolled down, going a little deeper into the forest.  _There._

Stopping at a large boulder, she brought up her aura, flaring it as strongly as possible, and unfolded her scythe. Ruby slammed her scythe into the side of the boulder, and began carving.

A few minutes later, she had created a square-shaped hole in the side of the boulder. Slabs of stone littered littered the ground beside her. Refolding her scythe, Ruby shoved the scythe as deeply into the boulder as possible, then picked up each of the slabs and shoved them back in. As a final touch, she took a bit of gray mud and smeared it into the small indentation her carving had left. Ruby stepped back, proud of her work. The boulder looked untouched, and only Ruby knew where it was.

Satisfied and exhausted, Ruby walked back to the cottage to see if she could begin repairing her clothes.

* * *

"What do you mean that they're MIA and 'most likely dead'? Where the hell is the rest of your team?"

The man who was the leader of the Beacon Academy Guards now stood in front of Glynda, one arm in a sling and leaning on a crutch. Now, his helmet was heavily dented, the tinted display at the front cracked. The sword-bow strapped to his back was broken in half, one end nothing but a mass of splintered metal. His quiver was empty and his uniform was ripped in several places. Black and red blood stained the front of his uniform.

"We miscalculated, Ma'am. She lead us straight to a Taijitu nest, and two fifty-foot black and whites engaged us. They took out four of us in a surprise attack, but we managed to take the two down with only one additional loss. What we did not expect, however, was the thirty-five or so twenty-foot baby Taijitus that burst out of the White Taijitu's belly. We stood and fought, but eventually we were overrun. I'm the only one who managed to get away. I accept full responsibility and I will take any punishment you deem fit."

Glynda palmed her face and sighed.

"Stand down, soldier. You are not to blame for this mess. I assume that the target escaped during the fighting?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Return to bed and take two weeks off for recovery. Use that time to begin recruiting new guards."

"Thank you, Ma'am." The man began limping back to the hospital wing.

Glynda tapped the surface of her tablet.

"Ruby escaped." stated the man in a monotone.

"Yes," sighed Glynda. "What do you think we should do?"

"Was Ruby severely injured?"

"Yes, the video shows her holding a presumably broken arm, with two bullet wounds in her chest and two bullet wounds in her stomach. Judging by the bloodstains, she suffered copious blood loss and could have gone unconscious at any time."

"Good, then. Send out teams to search for her body. I highly doubt she survived the night in the forest. Now all we need is visual confirmation of her death."

"What if we don't find the body?"

" _Then_  we'll put up posters and spread the word to neighboring towns. But I still think she died in the forest, and we don't need to cause the other towns to unnecessarily panic."

Glynda rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"I hope you're right."

* * *

**Notes: Ch 7 is over! Look, I introduced a new character! :) I really like reviews, they are what sustains me, please keep leaving them!**

**Answering a question:**

_**Q: "so assuming Yang or Weiss said yes they did love her. would this mean they would unknowingly be submitting themselves to a fate where their Ruby's torture buddy? or would there be a actual relationship. "** _

**A: Just wait and see, do you think Ruby could handle a real relationship? Or would she snap?**


	8. Lust and Love

Ruby had settled into a routine. She would wake up in the morning and help Alys around the house and prepare breakfast. Sometimes, she went to go pick up Alys from the hospital at night, after her shift had ended. They chatted about their day and various interesting events as they walked back to the cottage.

The threat of discovery, however, was always on Ruby's mind. Whenever she went out shopping, she wore a deep hoodie that covered her hair and shadowed her facial features. She never volunteered any information about where she lived and what she did, preferring to remain silent.

There was one close call, however, when she nearly was discovered by Weiss. Ruby and Alys were walking home and passed by the dust store, nearly bumping into Weiss as she walked out of the door. Thinking quickly, Ruby grabbed Alys and buried her face into the Alys' chest, pretending to hug her and hiding her face from view as Weiss scolded them for their carelessness. However, upon realizing that the two of them looked like they were  _occupied_ , Weiss blushed and quickly began to walk away.

Alys' face was red and her steps a little unsteady as Ruby pulled out of the hug and started walking home.

"What was that?" Alys asked in an embarrassed tone.

Ruby looked away and hunched down a little. "Uh, I guess I was feeling a little lonely," she said, letting a hint of sadness enter her voice.

Alys seemed a disappointed as they resumed their previous conversation and walked back home.

As for Ruby's previous clothing, it had been unsalvageable. The blood-soaked cloth had fallen apart in her hands, seeming as if the night she had spent in the wet forest had rotted the fibers. Thus, she began to work on a new set of clothing, made out of more sturdy material. Alys had given her the cloth, leather, and dye she needed, and Ruby felt guilty about asking Alys to spend her money on these things. Ruby was not lacking money, as her parents had left her a sizable inheritance and a bank account that she seldom used, but it was currently inaccessible because her master lien card[1] was hidden in her dorm room back at Beacon, so she resorted to telling herself that she would pay Alys back when she had access to her bank account again.

One day, Alys brought home a shopping bag containing a flat little box. "It's a tablet!," Alys said proudly, grinning and unwrapping it. She slid her slender fingers across the screen, causing the tablet to emit a  _beep_  and flicker on. "I can read the news on it, play games with it, and best of all, it's solar-powered!" Alys' delight was infectious, bringing a smile to Ruby's face. Ruby remembered seeing Glynda using a similar tablet, albeit slightly larger. She understood Alys' delight at the eco-friendly way of charging, as Alys' house wasn't connected to any power lines due to the remoteness of the location.

Alys had already started playing a game, the colorful lights splashing across the screen, when Ruby realized something.

"Hey Alys, could I see that for a second?"

Alys looked up. "Oh! Sorry! I've really wanted to play this game for a very long time," she said wistfully, "and I just saved up enough lien to buy this tablet."

Ruby frantically waved her hands. "No, no, it's totally fine, I just want to check something on the news. It'll only take a few seconds, promise."

Alys reluctantly gave up the tablet. "It's ok, I'll go change and prepare dinner, take as much time as you need," she said, walking out of the room.

Ruby quickly opened up the news application, praying that this program was the same as the one she had used on the desktop version of the tablet. She definitely wasn't out of touch with technology, having used the desktop tablet to model her scythe when she was designing and building it, but she hadn't used one of the mobile versions before. A few quick motions later, she had opened up the developer console and began to modify the news filters. With a three lines of instructions, she told the program not to display any news articles containing the words "Ruby" and "Rose" used in conjunction. Setting a password lock on the console and exiting out of it, she was finally able to exhale a sigh of relief.

"Hey Alys, I'm done now! You can have it back!"

Rushing in, Alys snatched it out of her hands and quickly began to play the game again.

* * *

Two weeks passed. Ruby was getting more than a little itchy, her urge to indulge popping up again and again, only being satisfied temporarily when she pretended that she was loved and pleasured herself in bed. Each passing day drew upon the urge, and Ruby waited for the spark that would ignite the deadly combination of loneliness and lust.

One Wednesday afternoon, Ruby was a peeling a vegetable with a paring knife, thinking about her current situation. She was completely healed now. Stretching every day to regain her range of motion and practicing hand-to-hand combat during her free time, she was back in shape. However, the absence of her weapon was like a hole in her side, exacerbating her pangs of heartache. Alys was a nice friend and all, but Ruby needed something more. Maybe it was time to  _sever_  all ties and move on to greener pastures.

The door clicked open and Alys stepped in. The weather had been getting colder, and it would probably start to snow soon. She took off her coat and placed it onto the rack.

"Reeeedddd! I'm hooommmeee! They let me off early today because of snow warnings," Alys called, taking off her shoes and gloves. "Red?"

Ruby was suddenly in front of her. "Oh, hey," she said. "I was busy preparing dinner, sorry."

Alys was a little unsettled at the way Ruby was staring into her face, as if she were seeing it for the last time and trying to memorize it.

After a few seconds, Alys raised her arms to gently push Ruby away, but instead Ruby grabbed them and pulled Alys towards her, wrapping an arm around her back and gripping her shoulder. The paring knife slid out of her sleeve as she moved her other arm behind Alys' neck. Alys didn't notice the knife as she focused intently on Ruby's face.

"Red? Snap out of it, let me go!"

She began struggling a bit, but Ruby kept her grip tight and leaned forward, resting her cheek in the hollow at the base of Alys' throat. Alys froze as Ruby softly breathed in, taking in Alys' scent of grass and rain and warmth. She licked her skin, her rough tongue scraping against the smooth surface, causing Alys to shudder and moan. Moving upwards, she trailed her tongue across her throat and along the side of her jaw, nibbling on her earlobe. Alys melted in her arms, legs trembling and unable to support herself.

"R-red, wait..." she said, groaning softly.

Ruby stopped and lifted her head up to look into Alys' delicate features. Alys was panting, her breath fogging in the cold air.

Raising her knife behind Alys' back, Ruby prepared to slice open the doe's neck and rip off her skin and gain access to her deepest places. She would finally be happy and fulfilled and-

With a sudden motion, Alys shifted forwards and kissed her straight on the lips. It was an innocent kiss, one that was somehow chaste yet also stirred up Ruby's deepest passions and ignited a fire in her depths.

Letting the blade slip back into her sleeve, she took hold of Alys' face and deepened the kiss, closing her eyes and pulling her closer. Their tongues touched, sliding against each other and making Alys clench Ruby's clothes. Alys tasted like spring and flowers and all that was good and pure.

Ruby's chest filled with sudden warmth as she realized that this was what true love was. Dying bodies were incomparable with the feeling of someone returning her love and passion.

Now gently grabbing hold of her waist, Ruby picked Alys up and walked over to the bed, Alys' legs wrapped around her own waist. Breaking off the kiss and setting her down gently, Ruby began to undress her, slipping her white gown off and over her head.

Alys grabbed her arm.

"W-wait," she said, breathing heavily and staring into Ruby's eyes. "I... I don't think I've ever been attracted to a girl before."

Ruby answered by renewing the kiss and pulling down Alys' underclothes, caressing her abdomen before inserting a finger and stroking her wetness. Alys' muffled protests faded as she writhed under Ruby's touch, each stroke bringing her closer to release. Ruby moved to her breasts, swirling her tongue on the tips of the perky mounds and rolling the nubs under her fingers, her ridged fingertips sending tingling feelings into Alys' core.

Alys didn't care anymore. She didn't care that she knew next to nothing about who Red was, she didn't care that Red had shown up in bloodstained clothes, she didn't that Red refused to go to the hospital, she had been in love with Red since she had first seen her bloodied and wounded on her doorstep. Now she was lost in lust and could barely think. Giving out mindless little squeaks of pleasure, she came, her wetness spreading over the bedsheets as she clenched around Ruby's fingers and whimpered.

Ruby's rhythm never stopped as she continued pumping her fingers in and out, quickly bringing Alys to another orgasm and reducing her to a shuddering mess, Alys' mouth open as she struggled to regain her breath. Ruby leaned in for another kiss and took her soft, pink lip into her mouth, gently biting down on it and stimulating Alys even further.

Throughout the rest of the night, Ruby took out her frustrations on Alys' tender, young body, teaching Alys to pleasure her and making love until the first rays of dawn appeared over the horizon.

* * *

**1\. Lien is a type of currency in Vale, they are plastic cards with magnetic strips on the back. There are single-chip cards, and there are master cards(GET IT?) that can access bank accounts. They are basically credit cards that come in different variations. See the article in the RWBY wiki for more details, I can't put links here.**

**Note: Whew, ok, I hope that was steamy enough. Once again, read and review! I'd like to hear all of your feedback!**


	9. A Shortage of Time

Ruby stretched and yawned, then went back to cuddling Alys. Wrapping her arms around Alys' chest, she fondled her breasts and planted a kiss on the back of her neck, enjoying the feel of another warm body against hers. Alys murmured and shifted, then fell back asleep.

Ruby spent a few more minutes listening to the rhythm of Alys' soft breathing, watching her chest rise up and fall back down with each breath. She didn't know how long this sort of happiness could last, so she intended to savor every last moment.

She looked at the clock, wondering how long they had slept.

"Hey Alys, wake up, you sleepyhead," she whispered.

Alys shifted and groaned. "Ughh... What time is it?"

"It's already one o'clock in the afternoon. Come on, let's get dressed and eat some breakfast. I'll walk with you to the medical center."

"Screw my job, let me sleep. You kept me up the entire night," Alys complained, grabbing the covers and pulling them over her head.

Wriggling under the blankets, Ruby planted a kiss on her nose.

"I'll make some food and you can sleep for little longer, ok?"

Making noncommittal noises, Alys closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Ruby smiled and got out of bed, getting dressed and pulling open the curtains.

After making lunch and sending Alys off to her job, Ruby walked around the house, looking for things to do.  _Well, the weather's getting colder and it looks like it might snow._  Grabbing the axe, Ruby walked towards the edge of the forest to chop some firewood. The fireplace would be a good alternative to the cottage's terrible central heating, especially during the middle of winter.

Taking an axe to some small trees at the edge of the forest, Ruby used her aura and spent an hour bucking a full cord of firewood, piling the stack of wood next to her house.

Looking happily at the mound of wood, she wondered when she had begun to thinking of the dwelling as not just Alys' home, but also  _her_  home. She stood in shock as she realized that she trusted Alys completely and loved her so much that she would do anything for her.

Walking back into the Emerald Forest, Ruby trudged up the hill to the boulder in which she had stored her scythe. Fully healed now, Ruby merely hefted another similarly sized boulder and smashed it into the storage boulder, trusting that her weapon was sturdy enough to remain undamaged. The two masses shattered in an ear-splitting explosion, bits and pieces of rubble exploding outwards and bouncing off of Ruby's aura. Striding forward, she picked up her undamaged weapon that was half-buried underneath the rubble.

Ruby had decided that she trusted Alys enough to bring her weapon into the house. Walking back to the cottage, she reminded herself to ask Alys if she could go buy some Dust cartridges and restock her ammo supply.

Going back inside the house, she placed the weapon in her closet and put on a thick jacket. She didn't really feel the cold, but the jacket would obscure her features and conceal her identities from any passerby. She then grabbed some lien and locked the door behind her, walking towards town to buy some supplies for the winter and to check out the dust shop.

Waiting for Alys outside of the hospital, her arms were laden with shopping bags full of winter provisions of flour, non-perishables, basic explosive Dust, and other necessities. She had her hood up and was staring at the sky, watching the snowflakes swirl around her.

The hospital doors slid open with a whir as Alys walked out, beginning to shiver as she moved from the comfortable indoor temperature to the freezing temperature outside. Ruby transferred her bags to one arm and took off her jacket, sliding it over Alys' shoulders.

Alys looked up gratefully. "Thanks, I didn't think it would be this cold."

Ruby smiled and pulled the collar of the jacket up to create a little privacy for themselves as she gave Alys a kiss.

Side by side, hand in hand, they headed home together.

* * *

Ruby and Alys had just walked into the house and shut the door behind them when the walls suddenly shook and a muted roar came from outside. Alys took once glance out the window, told Ruby that she could handle this, and ran into another room to grab her weapon. Ruby desperately wanted to keep her out of danger, but she stifled her protective instincts and told herself that Alys was a big girl and that she could handle this.

Alys ran back into the room with a old-fashioned rifle, one with a wood stock and an iron sight. Opening the door slightly, she stuck the barrel outside and aimed, igniting her aura and shrouding herself in a grass-green glow. Pushing a little aura into her weapon and charging up the Dust cartridges inside, she placed the ursa's head into her sights and pulled the trigger. The ursa had noticed her and had begun charging towards her, but it was only able to take two steps before the shot rang out, the mass of green Dust entering its head and exploding out the other side. The ursa teetered and collapsed, falling onto the pile of firewood and scattering wood across the yard.

"Darn", said Ruby. "Nice shot, Alys. Hey, do you want to eat the Ursa? It probably makes great steaks."

Alys looked a little sick at her suggestion. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm a deer faunus, remember? Fruits and veggies taste way better to me than tough, bloody flesh."

Ruby shrugged. "Each to their own, I guess."

Alys watched in awe as Ruby picked up the ursa and effortlessly slung it across her shoulders. A light red glow surrounded Ruby and bled onto the snow around her as she walked off into the dark copse of trees.

Half an hour later, Ruby had dropped the carcass off deep inside the forest to make sure that it wouldn't attract scavengers to the house. Alys had heated up dinner and was setting out plates and utensils.

Ruby went to her closet and pulled out her scythe, folded into the shotgun form.

"Hey Alys, I want to show you something," Ruby called.

Alys dried her hands and walked into the living room, where Ruby stood, holding out her shotgun.

"Wow, what is that?" she asked, wide-eyed and staring at the red and black object.

"It's my weapon," Ruby said with a smile. "I wanted to train to become a Huntress, but something got in the way and I had to... I had to discard that dream," she finished. Ruby's smile turned a little sad.

"Do you want to hold it?"

Alys shook her head. "It's really cool and all, but it's sort of giving me the creeps. I like the, uh, shape, though. Come on, let's go eat dinner."

Ruby put the gun back into her closet and walked towards the dining room.

As they began to eat, Alys started talking about some news she had heard around work.

"I heard some of my coworkers talking about some sort of scythe-wielding murderer," she began. "They said that she wears red-black clothing and is  _completely_  psychotic." Leaning closer, she whispered to Ruby, "And, the worst part was, I heard that she dismembered her victims and ate their  _organs_."

Ruby had stopped eating and was staring at Alys, but she didn't notice.

Alys continued talking. "Funny thing, I thought it was you for a sec, considering how you showed up out of nowhere. And then I realized that you couldn't  _possibly_  be the murderer," she said with an embarrassed smile. "For one thing, you're way too nice, and for another, you don't dress in red and black. And, you don't even  _have_  a scythe," she finished.

Ruby's head was pounding as she realized how close she had been to being discovered. She couldn't stay here any longer, as the search for her seemed to have been intensified, especially if her searchers had begun releasing information to the general public.

"Hello? Red? Do you think that I'm weird?" Alys asked, ducking her head as her cheeks flushed.

They had nearly finished dinner by now. Ruby couldn't wait anymore, she didn't know how long this paradise could last.

"I think you're perfect, Alys."

She got up from her chair and picked Alys up, kissing her deeply. Alys wrapped her legs around Ruby's waist, groaning happily as their tongues swirled.

Alys broke off the kiss, protesting. "W-wait, I have to clean up and do the dishes and- _mmf._ " Ruby hungrily kissed her again, savoring the her taste.

"The dishes can wait," Ruby purred, and walked towards their bedroom.

* * *

**Note: Ok, sorry for the slightly late upload. I swear, I had this written out awhile ago but I _just_ got home, and I tried editing and uploading this as fast as possible. I hope this chapter was ok, the next one will be more exciting, I promise.**

**As some of you may have noticed, I'm slowly introducing the mechanics of my RWBY world as the chapters progress. Keep an eye out and you might see the way I interpret how Dust, aura, and semblances tie together. Please read and review! The next chapter will hopefully be out soon.**


	10. Gone

**Warning: This chapter is violent. Skim the violent areas and skip to the next paragraph for plot if you do not wish to read them. This warning will only appear in applicable chapters.**

* * *

Ruby woke up to the sound of knocks on the front door, Alys' arms around her chest. The moonlight shone through the window, illuminating glittering snowflakes that swirled to the ground. Gentling disentangling herself, she rolled off the bed, groping around for the first thing she found and pulling it on. Dressed in a thin white nightgown, she walked to the door, running her hands through her hair and trying to make herself presentable. Turning the knob, she opened the door and found herself staring into the barrel of an automatic shotgun, glowing blue with aura.

"Uh... Hello?"

The sound of gunfire jolted Alys awake. Wrapping a robe around herself, she ran into the front hall, arriving just in time to see Ruby flying back and smashing into the opposite wall.

" _Enough._ " Ruby growled. Bending her knees and bracing herself against the wall, she launched herself towards the man holding the shotgun.

"Sheriff Simon?" Alys gasped.

The sheriff grunted an affirmative as he raised the shotgun to block Ruby's fist. There was a shriek of abused metal as Ruby's fist plowed through the shotgun and sent the halves flying across the room. Grabbing hold of the sheriff's shoulders, she picked him up and slammed him into the ground, forcing a grunt through his lungs and causing his aura to fizzle out and fade.

Preparing to smash him again and break his spine, Ruby lifted him off the floor, only to be stopped by a small pair of hands grabbing at her nightgown.

"Red, stop! This is the sheriff, there must have been some sort of misunderstanding, stop!"

Complying with her request, Ruby merely held him in her hands, dangling three feet off the floor.

"Misunderstanding?" the sheriff snorted. "This young lady here is Ruby Rose, one of the most wanted murderers in Vale. I'm actually surprised that you're still alive, Miss Alys."

The sheriff hit the ground with an  _oof_  as Ruby dropped him, backing away from Alys and clutching her arms in anguish. She felt her world beginning to crumble.

"W-what do you mean? That's R-Red, w-who's this Ruby you're talking about?"

The sheriff propped himself up on his elbows and looked directly at Ruby.

"I received reports from some of your coworkers that someone with black and red hair who matched the description of Ruby Rose picked you up after work yesterday. I alerted the authorities and then came here to check on you, hoping I wasn't too late."

Her teeth bared in a rictus of anger, Ruby advanced upon man the on the ground, fists clenched and shoulders hunched.

"You... I had a life, I had a love, I had a  _heart_ , and you just ruined it all!" she screamed. "WHY?"

Sheriff Simon looked a little confused, trying to comprehend what Ruby was ranting about.

Alys' face was pale and still. "Red–no, Ruby, is this true?"

Ruby looked up from the sheriff and slowly nodded. "Yes, but I'm changed now. Please,  _please_  don't run from me, Alys."

Alys' hands were at her mouth, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief.

The sheriff coughed. "You'd better give yourself up, Ruby. Even if you kill me there are still more people on the way–" Ruby walked over and slammed his head into the ground to get him to shut up.

Ruby started moving slowly towards Alys, arms open. "Alys, I loved you, still love you, and I will always love you. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen, in mind and soul. Please..."

Alys looked at her, her frightened eyes shining with tears. Ruby's heart clenched as she saw Alys' hesitation.

Her back stiffening, Ruby turned around and began walking towards the closet to grab her weapon. Her hands shook and her vision was getting blurry.

And suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. Heart stuttering, she turned around and pulled Alys up, giving her a passionate kiss.

"I love you too, Ruby," Alys gasped, tears flowing freely now. "I don't care who you are or what you are, I will always love you."

Ruby kissed her again, the taste of Alys mingling with the taste of their tears as she pressed against her.

"Come out with your hands up, weapons down. We have orders to shoot on sight. I repeat, come out with your hands up, weapons down."

" _No, no,_   _no_ ," Alys whispered, clutching Ruby tightly. " _Don't go."_

Ruby took hold of her hands, looking straight into her face.

"Tell them you knew nothing about me being a murderer. Tell them you had nothing to do with me, that I was just hiding here." Gripping Alys' hands tighter, she continued. "I'll come back for you one day, promise me that you'll wait for me. No matter what, I'll come back for you."

Alys nodded and buried her head in Ruby's chest. " _I promise_."

"Come out,  _NOW._ If you do not come out, we are prepared the destroy the house. You have thirty seconds." The sounds of concussion cannons being primed pierced the night.

Extricating herself from Alys' grip, Ruby gave her one last tender kiss.

"Alys, I won't be going down without a fight," Ruby comforted her.

Alys let out a small laugh and sniffled. "You're supposed to say that you'll get away safe and sound, and that you'll come back as soon as possible for me," she said with a sad smile.

Ruby grimly smiled back and pulled her weapon out of the closet.

As Ruby unfolded her scythe, the last of Alys' doubts fell away. The moonlight cast Ruby's pale features in a glow, lending her nightgown an ethereal form, contrasting with the brutal red and black scythe that she now held in her hands. She loved Ruby, despite her past and her flaws.

"Ten."

Ruby walked to the entrance and looked back.

"Nine."

Unable to resist, Alys gave her one last parting kiss, full of love and warmth.

"Eight."

"Don't let them catch you, run if you can. Live, Ruby."

"Seven."

Ruby nodded. "I'll return."

* * *

Yang, Blake, and Weiss stood with the troops outside the house.

After finding out that Beacon was sending experimental AK-210 Androids to help capture Ruby, they had requested to go along with the troops. They still felt guilty after find out that Ruby had committed murder right under their noses without the three noticing anything, and they suspected that their help would probably be needed in order to subdue Ruby. Predicting that Ruby would try to run, Weiss had gone ahead and set up five layers of glyphs in a circle around the house.

The voice over the loudspeaker droned on.

"Six. Five. Four."

A figure in white appeared in the doorway of the house. Dressed in a thin nightgown and nothing else, the snow softly rustled under her bare feet as she walked towards the ring of robots surrounding the house.

"Here she comes," Yang muttered, watching Ruby as she came closer. "Weiss, activate your barrier glyphs."

With a nearly inaudible hum, a sphere of aura sprung up around them, trapping themselves inside the area with Ruby and the androids.

Ruby found herself face to face with a glowing white barrier after dashing above and past the crowd of robots in a shower of rose petals. Slashing at the barrier, she ripped it open, only to find another layer behind it.

The first stun grenade exploded in front of her just as she turned around, her vision temporarily blinded and her head aching. Shaking herself, she dashed into the midst of the robots, waiting just long enough for them to fire their arm-mounted concussion cannons before dashing back out, sowing chaos as the robots fired at themselves. Pockets of robots exploded as Ruby dashed in and out, slicing and dicing and destroying swaths of the androids.

Seeing the number of the robots dwindle, Blake unsheathed her weapon and began swinging the sickle, preparing to do battle.

Yang tried to make one last attempt while Weiss silently watched.

Picking up a loudspeaker, Yang pleaded with Ruby. "Ruby, please turn yourself in. We don't want to hurt you."

" _I_  want to hurt her," Blake muttered.

Ruby had been hit with a few more stun grenades and more than a few concussion cannons as she began to tire, her aura flickering. As strong as she was, the horde of robots was overwhelming, especially because they had no sense of self-preservation. However, the crowd had begun to thin as she continued fighting, giving her a fleeting sense of hope that was dashed when she heard Yang's voice.

She knew then that fleeing was impossible if her three previous teammates were present. Her arms tiring, her strength flagged as she struggled against the last few robots. Her scythe flew out of her fingers as she caught a concussion blast in her back, knocking her to the ground.

A scream came from the cottage as Alys flew out of the door, her rifle in her hands and firing wildly at the robots that were closing in on Ruby. Ruby could only watch helplessly as a robot near her turned and fired twice at the new threat. Unlike with Ruby, the robot had no orders to subdue and used explosive-Dust weapons instead of the concussion cannons.

Two holes appeared in Alys' chest, stopping her short and making her drop her weapon. Blood poured down the front of her robe as she clutched her chest and fell onto her knees, then collapsed face-down in the snow.

Ruby let out a wail of grief and misery as she watched her hopes and dreams bleed into the ground. Her loss driving her, she picked up her scythe from the ground beside her and swung it furiously, effortlessly shearing the robot in half. Full of anger, Ruby stood again, fighting with renewed strength.

Eyes filled with tears, she didn't notice the blur of Blake's sickle in the corner of her vision until it was too late. The blade sinking into her left arm, Ruby's scythe fell out of her limp fingers. Without hesitation, Ruby caught the scythe with right hand and continued swinging, clearing the last few robots around her. Then she swung her scythe at Blake's sickle, attempting to cut the ribbon it was attached to.

Blake anticipated Ruby's move and jerked the sickle out of Ruby's arm, then flung it out again, firing the gun and wrapping the ribbon around Ruby. Ruby shifted her body and managed to only get her waist tangled, then faltered when the sickle swung around and stabbed directly into her stomach.

Ruby felt the blade shift around inside her as she flew towards Blake, her adrenaline rush blocking her sense of pain and allowing her to ignore the blade embedded in her middle. Blake's eyes widened as Ruby threw her scythe towards her and then gripped the ribbon and pulled herself after it.

The red and black weapon spun in a deadly arc, heading towards Blake. With a explosion of fire and light, Yang activated her aura and deflected the scythe with her gauntlets. The scythe spun into the air and thudded into the ground next to Blake.

Ruby was suddenly next to Yang, one arm drawn back as she prepared to plunge her hand into Yang's body. With a glow of white, Weiss air-stepped in front of Yang and thrust Myrtenaster into Ruby's chest, spinning the Dust vials and sending out a line of ice to smash into Ruby and knock her away. Blake's sickle ripped out of her stomach with a sickening  _slurp_. Weiss gasped and fell to her knees, the herculean task of keeping up the five-layered barrier while using her glyphs and Dust pushing her to exhaustion.

Ruby struggled to stay standing, one arm useless by her side and the other hand struggling to keep her insides where they belonged. A large chunk of ice was speared through her sternum. Ruby narrowed her eyes, concentrating. With an unexpected swirl of petals, Ruby disappeared and reappeared next to Blake, ripping the scythe out of the ground and swinging it at Weiss, who had her back exposed as she knelt on the ground and tried to regain her strength. Blake spun and pressed her weapon into Ruby's throat area, firing it at point-blank range just as Yang shot Ruby's leg, smashing through her thigh bone.

Ruby crumpled, unable to complete her scythe swing as she collapsed onto the ground. Blake had shattered her collarbone, the sharp fragments piercing her skin as she convulsed, her mouth in an o-shape as she soundlessly screamed. Blood poured from the entry and exit wounds on her thigh, a sure sign that her femoral artery had been ripped open.

Yang screamed at Weiss to take down her barrier as she took out a communication device and called for the hoverjet. Ruby faintly heard the gust of the propellers as she bled out. A needle pieced her arm, and Ruby felt her searing pain dull down into muted thumping. Her body, however, was not fooled as she felt her muscles continue to convulse and writhe, threatening to snap her bones. She was beginning to feel cold, and had lost all feeling in her extremities.

Ruby was a complete mess. All that remained of the white nightgown were a couple of ribbons ringing her chest and arms, the white cloth now soaked with dark red blood. Her belly was split open and her internal organs were clearly visible, the gleaming viscera reflecting the lights on the inside of the hoverjet. Blood pumped out of her throat and thigh wound, and her left arm was sliced to the bone, the pale white peeking through her skin and muscle. The slowly melting shard of ice was lodged in her chest, sealing the hole it had created and letting only a trickle of blood leak between her breasts.

Yang stood over Ruby, shouting for her to stay awake, to stay alive. Doctors swarmed her as they began sewing, plugging, and healing her wounds, some of them holding hands glowing with aura over her more serious injuries. The tide of blood refused to be stemmed, however, as each beat of Ruby's heart pulsed out a fresh spray of fluid.

Ruby opened her mouth and Yang leaned towards her, tilting her head to the side.

"I had finally found love," Ruby whispered, struggling to stay conscious. "But then you killed her, why did you kill her? She was innocent and pure and good. I loved her. I..." Her lungs failed her as the last whisper of air escaped them.

Upon hearing Ruby, Weiss had gasped and ran off towards the cottage, where the doe faunus' body lay. Yang was screaming that Ruby had stopped breathing. Ruby closed her eyes, a calm settling over her, a shroud of darkness stealing upon her mind...

* * *

_Big eyes, soft lips, frail body, strong soul_

_She healed Ruby, healthy and whole_

_Her love and hope to whom she spilled_

_The ache in her heart completely fulfilled_

_Did you really think she would still murder, torture, and kill?_

* * *

**Note: You asked why I was going to have three consecutive faunus victims? Heh.**

**Also, faunus are hella cute. Mmm, Ruby definitely likes cute things.**

**Also, everything has a reason, as I've already planned pretty far ahead. Things link.**

**That being said, how is the pace of the story working out for you guys? I've got 3 Acts planned out so far, with each Act being about 30-50 chapters.**

**Thanks for sticking with me so far, I hope you are enjoying the story!**


	11. Confrontation

**Warning: This chapter is violent. Skim the violent areas and skip to the next paragraph for plot if you do not wish to read them. This warning will only appear in applicable chapters.**

* * *

_Save her, save her!_

_..._

_I'm trying! She's lost too much blood!_

_..._

_No, no, no! Ruby, wake up! Wake up!_

_..._

_Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to step outside._

_..._

_Blake, I killed her, I killed my own sister, oh god, oh god no._

_She was a murderer... you saved Weiss' life... you had no choice._

_I shot her, she was bleeding everywhere, why did I shoot her, Blake, why?_

_You had no choice, she was crazed... her aura was low, Yang, anything would have damaged her..._

_..._

_Doctor, save her, please, I beg you._

_At this point, Ms. Xiao Long, any further action would merely be desecrating a corpse. Mrs. Belladonna, if you would please remove her from the premises?_

_..._

_Yang, stop, she's dead... shhh, stop crying..._

* * *

There was no pain. Her eyes were open, but they were dry and one of them couldn't focus on anything. Slowly blinking, the scents of human and faunus and disinfectant around her, Ruby tried to figure out what was going on. She had no idea how long it had been since she'd heard a spoken word. She rolled her eyeballs and found that one of them was deflated.

Craning her neck to look down at her body, her vision slowly returned as she felt her drained eye refill with vitreous fluid. A Y-shaped incision had been cut into her chest, her skin lifted up and peeled to the sides. The entire front of her rib cage had been removed, exposing her ragged lungs and heart. Even as she watched, the perforations in her lungs sealed and her damaged heart began to close up. Her heart began to move again, pulsing gently.

Listening closely, she heard the voices of the pathologists and nurses discussing the extent of her injuries in another room.  _An autopsy_ , she realized.  _I'm in the middle of an autopsy_.

A squeaking sound came from the hallway. Ruby stilled her eyes and her face, but her traitorous heart kept beating as a nurse wheeled a trolley into the room. Catching a glimpse of movement, the human nurse frowned and moved closer to investigate.

Her jaw dropped. "What the..."

Her other arm useless, Ruby propelled herself up with just her right arm and was still able to latch onto the soft underside of the nurse's throat, despite her lack of attached chest muscles. Working her jaw, she bit down and severed her vocal cord, then let herself fall back. ripping the nurse's throat out. The nurse spasmed and clutched her neck, arterial blood spurting. In a matter of seconds, she had fainted and fell onto Ruby, the blood continuing to splash out and onto Ruby's face.

The smell of blood aroused her appetites, making her leaking stomach growl with hunger. Chewing and swallowing the piece of neck meat, she tilted her face up and directed the spray of blood into her mouth, drinking until the flow lessened. Ripping off another chunk of flesh, she swallowed greedily. She was voracious, feeling as if she had not eaten in years, and she savored each bite of flesh. The meat seemed to disappear even before it got down to her stomach.

Her left arm healed first, allowing her to tear off chunks flesh even faster and cram her mouth, eating with wild abandon.

A scream came from the doorway, and Ruby realized that the medical personnel had come back. Shoving the body off of her, she managed to get a glimpse of the pathologist fleeing the room, screaming for help. She tried to get off the examination table and stand up but she realized too late that her abdominal muscles had been cut away, and she fell to the floor, coils of intestines spilling out. She tried to shovel the intestines back in, feeling curiously numb as she felt only the sensation of her hands and no pain. The ropes of flesh were slippery and ragged, some sections breaking off faster than Ruby could place them back into her body.

Giving up, she dragged herself to the wall, propping herself up and trying to will herself to heal faster. Unfortunately, Ruby realized that a set of ribs and an entire layer of skin and muscle didn't heal very quickly. She sighed and shifted herself into a more comfortable position, resigning herself to waiting.

* * *

A few minutes later, Glynda Goodwitch burst into the room. Ruby looked up and made eye contact with her, stopping her in her tracks as she looked at Ruby in shock and confusion. Recovering quickly, she drew four glyphs, two binding Ruby's arms behind her and two binding her legs to each other. Without her hand keeping them in, Ruby's insides started to spill out again. Glynda paused, wondering what to do.

Taking out a roll of steelsilk, she began wrapping Ruby in the silvery gray strips, trying the best she could to push her organs back in while also trying not to touch them. Ruby forcibly suppressed a smile as she tried not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

A string of intestines was still hanging out between the wraps of steelsilk, as Glynda waved her wand and moved Ruby onto the trolley. Rolling Ruby out of the room, she left the nurse's savaged body for someone else to clean up.

* * *

"She's alive?"

Jack Everest, head of the department of State Affairs, had been a semi-permanent resident at Beacon during the search for Ruby. He was preparing to leave after finalizing Ruby's death certificates and taking down the warrant for her arrest.

Now, he stared at the pale body that was surrounded with glyphs and strapped onto a trolley, being wheeled to the confinement chambers.

"She doesn't look alive to me," he said skeptically.

Glendall Goodwitch, psychiatric examiner and brother of Glynda Goodwitch, spoke from next to him.

"Trust me, she's perfectly alive, just look at the body in the autopsy room if you want proof. She managed to eat part of the poor nurse before another someone found her and called for help."

Everest frowned.

"Can we question her now?"

"She might not be able to answer, considering that her diaphragm was cut open during the autopsy, but if we can get someone to sew her back up I don't see why not."

Everest grimaced. "Alright, get a surgeon and let's go."

* * *

Ruby was strapped to the wall in the confinement chamber, the entrance shrouded in a thick layer of glyphs. Her limbs were strapped to the hooks on the walls with a couple of layers of steelsilk.

The barrier to the confinement chamber suddenly went down, allowing the sound of voices to travel into the chamber.

"Sir, I haven't done anything like this before-"

"Yes, yes, just sew her back up, nothing to it. We need her to be able to talk, and that ruptured diaphragm isn't helping."

A nervous man carrying a toolbox walked in, followed by Professor Ozpin, Everest, and Glendall. The small room was suddenly crowded, the three of them cramped into a corner to give the surgeon space.

He set down the toolbox, straightened his coat, and introduced himself. "H-hello," he began carefully, "I'm Thomas, and I'm going to reseal your chest and stomach area so you'll be able to talk."

Ruby felt a little sorry for him, so she gave him a smile and nodded. The fact that her face was smeared with blood and her expression looked more like a grimace didn't seem to deter the man, who gave her back a grateful smile as he pulled out a needle and steelsilk thread from the toolbox.

As he worked on her, Ruby felt only a slight tugging sensation as the needle passed in and out of her skin, pulling the flaps of fat and muscle on the sides of her torso back together.

"I can't do anything about your ribs, and you might still be a bit leaky, but I think you'll be able to talk at least," Thomas proclaimed as he finished.

Ruby pulled in a weak breath. "Thank you," she exhaled softly.

Thomas nodded and walked out of the room.

Professor Ozpin stepped forward, preparing to introduce the two next to him, when he heard shouting coming down the hallway.

"You may not see her! She's being questioned and you cannot interrupt them!"

"Like hell I can't! Ruby's my sister!"

Glendall looked at Ozpin. "Perhaps her friends can get her to talk, before we start asking questions."

Ozpin nodded. "I agree." Shouting, he said, "Let them in! They are allowed to enter."

Yang appeared in the doorway, followed by Weiss, who looked guilty and distressed, and Blake, who had a blank expression on her face.

Yang paused, not knowing what to say. "You're alive," she began. "I... I thought you died. I thought I killed you, sis."

Ruby's face had frozen as she recalled what had occurred before she died. "I did die, and you did kill me. You killed me, and you took away my love. I don't really want to speak to you guys right now."

Yang looked crestfallen, stepping back with tears brimming in her eyes. Seeing Yang's expression, Blake bared her teeth, but even her attempt looked halfhearted as she saw Ruby's freshly heartbroken expression.

"Ruby, was the person you lived with called Alysonne?" Weiss asked, a mournful expression on her face as if she knew what the answer would be.

Ruby's barest hopes were dashed at the mention of Alys' name in the past tense. She nodded slowly, unable to speak, waiting for Weiss' response.

"I had a... a sort of crush on her. I know you're probably not listening to me, but I saw her on a trip to town when I went to buy dust. The next time I went to the store, I saw her with someone. Was that you?"

Ruby closed her eyes and gave the tiniest of nods, tears beginning to trickle down her face. Weiss had started crying, too.

"When you asked me earlier if I had anyone I liked, I was thinking about her," she said in a trembling voice. She paused, trying to regain her composure but failing, her face crumpling.

"I'm so sorry Ruby," she cried, her tears dripping down her face as her sobbing intensified. "I'm so, so sorry. I loved her too, I didn't ever want her to be hurt either. Ruby, believe me, I, I-" Weiss choked up, unable to go on.

Blake had been holding Yang, comforting her, and she now pulled Weiss into her embrace, too. Her arms over both of their shoulders, she turned and walked out of the room, never looking back at Ruby.

The three had been watching the spectacle quietly. Glendall now walked forward, hands glowing with aura, and traced three glyphs around Ruby's head. A few seconds later, he jerked back, rubbing his palms as if he had been burned.

Ruby felt his intrusion into her mind and looked up.

"I was so lonely, so lonely, no one would be with me, so I made them part of me forever." she whispered. "I'm changed, I found love, but now I'm alone again."

Ruby gave a sad little smile and looked back down.

The room was silent.

Everest was the first to speak. "I've seen enough."

Gesturing for Ozpin and Glyndall to follow him, Everest left the confinement chamber and walked down the hallway and into a conference room. Ushering them in, he glanced back and closed the door behind him.

* * *

**Note:**

**Yes, a chapter daily. Maybe more on the weekends.**

**Pew pew, next chapter will be more interesting as the plot moves forwards.**

**Next chapter already written, I just need to edit and so forth, let's see if I can get two published tonight.**


	12. Sent

Everest, Ozpin, and Glendall pulled out chairs and sat down at the table.

"How did your examination go, Glendall? What's she like?" Everest asked.

Glendall looked worried, tapping the tips of his fingers together.

"The glyphs I drew form a sort of connection between me and the recipient," he explained. "Usually this lets me get a good reading on people about their hopes, desires, emotions, and things of that sort. I can't get concrete thoughts but I can get a general sense of what their emotional state is like." He hesitated.

"Spit it out, Glendall," Everest ordered.

"Ruby's mind... It felt similar to someone who had experienced severe trauma. I couldn't get any sort of coherent reading from her. For all intents and purposes, her mind is completely broken, thrown into chaos, reduced to her basest instincts. The only two recognizable emotions I felt were longing and hunger." He shivered, troubled by his look into her psyche.

"This is unprecedented," Ozpin murmured to himself in worried tones. "What are we going to do with you, Ruby?"

Everest heard him and his jaw tightened. "She demonstrates sociopathic traits and is unfit for society. She is clearly unable to stand for trial due to her mental health issues. Instead, she will be used as a Rogue Huntress."

Ozpin jaw dropped a little as he considered what Everest was saying.

"That seems a little harsh- for God's sake, she's only fifteen! And we're not even going to give her a fair trial?"

"She's battle-ready, she's strong, and she cannot be around people. We should put her into training immediately and send her out. If she dies fighting Grimm then our problems will be solved."

"Can't we train her as a soldier? Maybe we could conscript her into the army? We can't just send Ruby to certain death!"

"Stop thinking of her as an innocent girl, Professor. She's a murderer, and we cannot allow her near a fresh recruit nor an upstanding soldier."

Glyndall interjected. "As a mental health professional, I would like to say that I doubt we can control her. She has no one to live for, her friends have abandoned her, and no sponsors want her. Her actions are simply too wild and too violent. Barring execution, the only thing we can do is send her into isolation. Everest is correct, she's too dangerous to keep at my facility or any facility for that matter, due to the chance that she could escape and wreak havoc. My conviction has only been bolstered after seeing her come back to life. If she escapes, I doubt we will be able to take her down again, especially considering her monstrous healing capabilities."

"It's decided then. As Head of the Department of State Affairs, I sentence her to indefinite confinement to the northern region of the Dragon Wings. She will work to destroy Grimm and scout out areas for human habitation. She will be sent to the Rogue camp to begin her training tomorrow."

Ozpin's face turned pale as he realized that the decision had just been made.

"She's fifteen, you can't just take away her life! The Rogue camp is filled with filthy murderers and rapists, and you're just going to give them a young girl to play with and abuse? Don't let your personal life affect this decision-"

"SHUT UP!" Everest roared. His face was red and his chest was heaving. "My son, my beautiful son, was killed by this  _whore_! She sexually assaulted all of her victims, she assaulted my son! We don't even know how many people she might have killed in her past! If anything, she would fit in perfectly with those criminals at Rogue camp!"

Ozpin fell silent as he considered this information. Everest had adopted a faunus child a few years back, but Ozpin hadn't made the connection between one of Ruby's victims and Everest. He now saw why he was pushing for such a harsh sentencing. As a minor, Ruby wasn't eligible for the death sentence, but she could still be sent to government camps outside of court jurisdiction.

"Glendall, could you please leave us for a second?" Ozpin asked.

Glendall looked confused, but he nodded and walked into the coffee room, closing the door behind him.

"Everest," Ozpin began in a quiet voice, "I know about your assassin cells."

Everest froze as he turned and stared back at Ozpin. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't think I haven't noticed those random deaths and accidents, Everest. I know you are the head of the Secret Operations Division. I know that the squad under your control killed the some of the highest-ranked leaders of White Fang along with outspoken political dissenters. Don't deny this, I'm not going to blackmail you."

"Then what do you want?"

"I want you to consider the fact that your covert operatives were the ones who killed Ruby's parents."

Everest's eyes widened. At that moment, the room was so silent that the sound of fresh coffee being made was clearly audible from behind the door of the coffee room.

"How..."

"What's worse is that all of your operatives wear White Fang masks, meaning that Ruby has assumed that the faunus are responsible for everything bad that has ever happened to her, including the events that occurred afterwards, such as the death of her sister. I'm surprised that she didn't just outright murder the doe faunus she had been hiding with. However, the main point is this: Because of your actions, you are directly culpable for the person Ruby has become today.

"Her sister-"

"Yes, I know you had no hand in her death. That's not my point. Like I said, I'm not going to blackmail you. However, I'd like you to think about bringing Ruby onto your team."

Everest choked a little and cleared his throat. "What? You want me to bring my son's murderer and a psychopath into my team?"

"I just want you to consider it, is all. You can grant her immunity or falsify her death if she joins your team. Delay Ruby's sentencing and take a few days to think about it."

Everest stared down at the table, silent.

"Karma's a bitch, huh?" he muttered to himself.

A minute of silence stretched into five minutes as the two men sat there and thought.

Ten minutes later, Everest straightened and stood up.

"I'm not making any promises, but I will delay Ruby's sentencing for two days."

"That's all I'm asking for, Everest."

Everest called Glendall out of the coffee room.

"I want you to keep everything you heard today confidential, do you understand?"

Glendall nodded.

"I said,  _'Do you understand?!_ '"

Glyndall muttered his assent and nodded even faster. Everest grunted and headed for the exit.

As Everest left the room, he was so lost in his thoughts that didn't notice the soft displacement of air that blew out from behind the door.

* * *

Blake, Weiss, and Yang raced down the hallway after spying on the meeting between the three.

"She had a sister? How come she never told me? And what's this about her parents being assassinated?" Yang wondered.

Blake shrugged, lost in her own thoughts.  _Was this why her victims were all faunus?_  She gave herself a mental shake, focusing on the task at hand.

"So, why are we trying to break her out again?"

Yang's face tightened, her resolve showing plainly. "I wasn't able to save her the first time. I should have taken better care of her, I should have asked her what was wrong, but I ignored her and now I'm paying the price. She somehow came back to life, so I have another chance at redemption. I'm not going to let my sister be sent to Rogue camp to die, no matter what she has done."

"Do you think she really loved Alys? Is that why she didn't kill her?" Blake asked.

"Yes," Weiss answered. "I looked over the police reports after we fought her. People had seen Alys leaving her workplace with a stranger, but they just assumed that Alys was living with a relative or was in a relationship. It wasn't until weeks later that Ruby slipped up and took off her coat to give to Alys because she was cold. One of Alys' coworkers instantly recognized her and reported her to the sheriff." Weiss paused, choosing her words carefully. "Ruby had been living with Alys for  _weeks_ , and in the end Alys was shot trying to defend Ruby. I think they truly loved each other."

Blake nodded. "That's all I needed to know."

A few minutes later, they had circled the building and arrived at the confinement chambers from the other hallway, avoiding Everest, Ozpin, and Glendall.

The barrier in the entrance of Ruby's cell was strong, but Weiss merely stuck her sword into it and began channeling aura. The barrier flickered and went out.

"Hurry," she gasped. "I didn't take down the base glyphs, so this barrier is going to reactivate itself in a few minutes even if I continue suppressing it with my aura."

Stepping into the cell, Blake and Yang approached the sleeping Ruby, suspended two feet above the ground.

Yang felt her anger grow as she looked upon Ruby's naked, thin body, covered in stitches and scars and bullet holes, her chest oddly sunken as the majority of her rib cage still hadn't grown back yet.

Gently stroking Ruby's hair, Yang whispered, "Wake up, Ruby."

Ruby's eyes snapped open, seeing Blake and Yang standing in front of her.

"I don't forgive you and I probably never will," Blake began. "But based on our past friendship and your relationship with Alys, Yang believes that you have changed. I don't know whether you have or not, but even  _I_  think that Rogue camp is too harsh."

"I love you sis," Yang said. "And although I failed to protect you the first time, I'll definitely protect you this time."

"For Alys," Weiss simply said.

Ruby was silent, watching them.

Blake stepped forward, unsheathing her katana and slicing at Ruby's steelsilk bonds.

The moment the sword was about to collide with the steelsilk strips, a purple bubble expanded outwards and encased the three, freezing them in midair when they tried to dash away.

Glynda had activated the glyphs in Ruby's confinement chamber, igniting the fail-safes designed for attempted break-outs.

"I realize you used to be friends, but that is no excuse for freeing a murderer," Glynda scolded. "I'll let you off this once, but make no mistake, if I thought you three were wiser and knew  _exactly_  what you were doing, you'd all be sitting in a cell right next to Ruby." Glynda sighed and ran a hand through her hair.  _Oh, the foolishness of youth_. She had been in a similar situation herself when she was younger, but her punishment had not been so lenient.

"Do you have anything else to say to her? I've soundproofed the room. I'll give you a chance to say anything you want, as long as you promise not to attempt this foolish endeavor again. I'm upping the barrier strength and setting the glyphs to incinerate anyone who tries to tamper with them. This will probably be the last time you'll see her, so make it count."

"Ruby, listen to me," Yang pleaded. "We overheard Ozpin saying that Jack Everest was the one who ordered the killing of your parents. He sent human assassins wearing White Fang masks, pretending to be faunus. Don't trust him, he's going to try to kill you!"

Ruby had always assumed that feral, ruthless faunus were behind the masks. The childhood trauma had left a Ruby a prejudice and a grudge against all faunus, until she had met Alys. Now she knew that the answer wasn't important, that faunus and humans were rather similar, that both had the capacity for great evil.

She wished she had known sooner.

It didn't matter now, the most precious person in her life was gone.

A small sigh escaped Ruby's lips.

"Thanks for the information, Yang. And thank you all for trying. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"Good luck," said Weiss.

Seeing that there was no more to be said, Glynda waved her wand and unceremoniously ejected the three from the room. Leaving the chamber, she reactivated the barrier, watching quietly as the three friends picked themselves up and walked down the hall in silence.

* * *

**Two Days Later**

"If she survives Rogue camp, I'll take her in."

"That is  _not_  what we agreed upon! Your promise means nothing if Ruby is sent to Rogue camp anyway," Ozpin fumed.

They rounded the corner and walked down the hallway, heading for the hoverjet port. Ruby was being loaded into the flying machine, blindfolded and wrapped in steelsilk and glyphs. Attendants surrounded her, making sure that she was tightly secured and clearing the area for liftoff.

"I cannot forgive her for the death of my son, nor can I forgive her for any of her other crimes. Remember, Professor, she is also a psychopath and is quite strong. Even if I let her onto my team, I could not control her. If she ever found out that I had her parents killed, well, then God help us all."

"No, only you. You brought this upon yourself, and you should have dealt with it yourself." Ozpin said, a deep scowl on his face.

Walking ahead of Everest, he approached Ruby. She was bound into a gurney on the tarmac, about to be rolled into the hoverjet. Stopping next to her and leaning in, he tried to give her some encouraging advice.

"Stay strong, Ruby. I'd like to say that I could get you out of there, but this matter is much too high up, even for me. Behave well and finish training early, and they might take you out of the camp and give you a Mission. Good luck." Ozpin backed up and nodded to the nearby attendants.

Everest watched as they loaded Ruby onto the aircraft. Heaving an internal sigh, he turned around and walked away. What he had said to Ozpin was true, but there was another reason why Ruby had been sent to Rogue camp. During the two day extension he had given Ozpin, he had seriously considered binding Ruby's strength and training her as an assassin. However, a message from a superior had arrived, asking why Ruby hadn't been taken care of yet. The superior wanted to tie up all loose ends, and that meant finishing off the Rose family by killing the remaining child. Minors couldn't be executed, but they could be sent to a camp and  _accidentally_  get beaten to death during an overzealous training exercise, or perhaps tumble off a cliff.

With a roar, the hoverjet took off, ascending into the sky and heading for the remote Rogue camp.

* * *

**Note:**

**Woops, sorry about the warning signs.**

**Yes, Ruby is 15. Just like the show says. What were you expecting? 15-year old Ruby is just the perfect blend of cuteness and adult-ness.**

**A Q & A fanfic... Might be interesting, if I could do it well. Right now my life is a bit busy, but this series will go on for quite awhile so there will be more opportunities in the future.**


	13. Camp

After the hoverjet had landed, she felt herself being wheeled into the back of a truck. She was taken off of the stretcher, hands and feet still tied, and chained to thick steel shackles attached to the floor of the truck. Ruby had the physical strength to break her bindings, but the glyphs were stopping her from actually being able to move.

The truck was driven for a couple more hours. Ruby had fallen asleep when she was awakened by the feeling of a thin, flat band of metal being wrapped around her throat. Her stomach growled a little, a feeling of hunger beginning to creep over her.

"Ruby Rose, are you awake?"

Ruby nodded, the blindfold preventing her from identifying the speaker.

"Good. Listen carefully. This collar is inscribed with incineration glyphs. We, the wardens of the camp, can ignite your collar anytime, anywhere. There are two main rules: Do not try to escape, and do not attack your wardens. Do you understand?"

Ruby nodded again. "Where am I?" she asked.

The voice sounded surprised. "You don't know? You're at Rogue camp. Here, we reeducate criminals and send them out to fight Grimm on the frontiers, giving them a chance at redemption."

"Redemption," Ruby said slowly, tasting the word in her mouth. "That sounds nice."

The voice gave a chuckle. "We'll see about that."

There was a  _clink_  of unlocking metal, then rough hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her out of the back of the truck. A small breeze brushed against her skin, and the glyphs on her disappeared. Her legs nearly crumpled under her, unable to support her weight after being immobile for several hours. A  _snip_  and the bindings around her ankles fell loose. The blindfold was ripped off of her face, making her eyes water and blink to compensate for the bright sunlight shining into them.

"We're going to the administration office to make some introductions and get you registered." said a voice to her side.

Glancing around, her eyes adjusted and she saw that her speaker had been a lean, wiry man, wearing a brown uniform with short sleeves. A small badge in the shape of a circlet of barbed wire was pinned above his front pocket. A brown belt was around his waist, and he wore black dress pants. A broad-rimmed brown felt hat topped his head, shading his features from the light.

"Can you walk? Let's go."

Her surroundings were barren, looking nothing like Beacon's hills and the lush Emerald Forest. The landscape was flat in all directions, the monotony broken by an unassuming shrub or two. Everything looked windblown and flat, dust particles covering most surfaces in a layer of fine silt. The grainy earth under her bare feet felt gritty and hard, the topsoil packed and dry. The sun beat down overhead. Ruby knew she should have felt hot and dusty, but her body still felt numb and thus there was only the mildest sensation of something warm.

Ruby looked about as she walked, eventually reaching an unassuming iron gate, tipped with blunted spikes. A high fence surrounded the gate, stretching onward into the distance. The camp was filled with low brown and red buildings along with an occasional guard tower. Out past the buildings, an outdoor cooking area and storage warehouses could be seen.

The warden grabbed Ruby's arm and pulled her with him, his only indication of surprise upon feeling her abnormally chilly skin being a raised eyebrow. He continued on, marching through the gates, stopping at the guard station to confirm his identity and grab a set of clothing. The guard raised his eyes from his tablet to give an interested glance at Ruby's exposed chest. Ruby realized that she was still almost completely naked, the pale expanse of her skin only broken by her raised scars from bullets, blades, and stitches. Her rib cage had been slowly growing back, although some places still just wire-thin strands of bone.

"Usually the camp will have more people," the warden said, continuing his walk and pulling her away from the guard's stare. "It is currently o-nine-hundred, and most prisoners are out working or in the buildings taking lessons. You'll get more details at the administration office."

Stopping at one of the low buildings, he took out a key and unlocked the door. The plate next to the entrance read "249".

"The camp layout is simple. Each row of buildings, starting from the main entrance, is labeled as row 100, 200, 300, all the way up to 800. Rows 100-600 are mostly the living quarters, while rows 600-800 involve the other functions of the camp."

He gripped the knob and swung the door open, gesturing for Ruby to head in.

"This will be your permanent residency. Memorize the number and report back here by twenty-two-hundred every day, unless otherwise specified. The day starts at o-five-three-o hours, breakfast is at o-six-hundred, lunch is at twelve-hundred, and dinner is at eighteen-hundred. You have half an hour in the morning to visit the various barbershops scattered throughout the camp, each of the buildings with trailing numbers of 20 or 70. You can cut your hair and nails there. The closest one to this room is at building 270. You eat your meals in the communal dining area. You will be sharing this room with one woman and two men. Prisoners are placed into residencies based on the order they arrive in camp and considering the current vacancies. No one gets special privileges. Understand?"

Ruby nodded, trying to wrap her mind around the military time and the deluge of information. The room was furnished sparsely, containing only two sets of solidly built wooden bunk beds, each placed on the either side of the room, along with a washtub and a ragged towel in the back corner.

The warden grunted and moved on.

"These are your clothes," he said, throwing a set of fabric onto the bed. "You are responsible for washing and maintaining your clothing. The laundry room is in building 808, and I recommend you dry out your clothes during the night. You will be issued clothing with different marks upon them once you demonstrate obedience and trustworthiness. No personal accessories are allowed, and any attempt at concealing weapons will be dealt with severely."

"I understand," Ruby said. "Can you please untie my hands now?"

She moved forward to give him access to her bindings, but he gripped her shoulder and pulled her back.

"One more thing," he murmured into her ear, wrapping his arm around her. "We do not interfere in conflicts between prisoners, unless they becomes too disruptive or the conflicts involve severe injuries. Therefore," he said, roughly grabbing her small breasts, "You'll need to take care of yourself. As I've said before, no one gets special privileges."

Ruby stiffened up, her back arching a bit as she tried to ease the uncomfortable pressure on her chest. The warden's body surrounded her, the rough fabric of his shirt scraping against her skin and making her previously numb nerves tingle. She breathed in his warm smell of dust and rock and soil, his hard body feeling as solid as stone.

"A lot of people are going to try to take advantage of you," he continued, moving his other hand downwards and cupping her crotch. "You're young and pretty, and the female prisoner population is quite low, with few as attractive as you." Heat blossomed in her belly as his rough fingers began to stroke her wet core, moving deeper and making Ruby shudder.

Suddenly, he pulled back.

"However, as I said earlier, we wardens have a strict no-interference policy with prisoners. You'll have to deal with your own problems, or you'd better get used to it."

"I...I understand," Ruby panted, slightly out of breath from his teasing.

Pulling out a small pair of shears, he clipped the bindings on her wrists.

"Now put on your clothes already. We need to get to the administration office."

Ruby unsteadily walked to the bed, the aching from her unsatisfied urges combined with her ever-increasing hunger making her feel ravenous. Unfortunately, it would still be a while until lunch.

Picking up her clothes, she slipped on a pair of neutral gray boy shorts, a gray tank top, and a loosely fitting shirt with vertical black stripes along with similarly matching pants. A pair of nondescript leather sandals went on her feet, tightened until they stopped falling off.

The warden opened the door, gesturing for Ruby to follow him.

As they walked, Ruby forced herself to resist jumping the warden and instead focused on cooling off. However, even as her lust dissipated, her stomach felt even emptier by comparison. A small growl suddenly came out of her belly.

The warden looked at her.

"I can go see if we can make an exception for you, considering your long journey. After we speak to the administration, we can head to the kitchens and grab something for you to eat before beginning your training."

Ruby had a feeling that her type of hunger probably wouldn't be satiated with just a bit of food, but she held her tongue.

They arrived at the administration building a few minutes later. Built of gray stone, it was slightly taller than the red brick buildings surrounding it, lending it an air of importance and solemnity.

A glowing display was to the left of the double doors, a camera right over it. The warden pulled out a thin plastic card, scanning it against the display and letting the camera get a good view of him. With a small beep and a hiss, the doors opened, a rush of cool air sweeping out. The moment after the two stepped in, the doors closed and sealed shut again.

The interior of the building was vastly different from Ruby's cabin, containing bright white walls and a lush grey carpet. The reception desk was made of stainless steel, gleaming as the overhead fluorescent shined down upon it. A display sat on the desk, a secretary with blue eyes and silvery hair sitting behind it. Having a sizable chest and dressed in a sharp gray suit, she had a pair of glasses on that had holographic text scrolling rapidly across the surface, controlling the flow of information with eye movements. Passing through a metal detector and ignoring the beeping, the warden walked to the reception desk.

Glancing upwards, the receptionist nodded to Ruby and the warden and swiped her fingers across the screen.

"I've cleared you for access. The administrator is in the third room down the hall."

The warden said a thank you and led Ruby down the hallway, past two unmarked doors and stopping at the third. Taking a deep breath, he was prepared to knock on the door when the door suddenly creaked open and revealed a broad, smiling face.

"Come in, come in! I've been expecting you, Ruby!"

* * *

Ruby didn't know what she had been expecting, but the administrator was certainly someone she hadn't expected to see in an office setting. Blonde hair, blue eyes, strong jaw, light stubble, and high cheekbones, he looked every bit like one of those musicians that Yang had always drooled over. He was dressed in a light blue suit, a white shirt underneath and a white and black striped tie around his neck.

"Sit, sit!" He patted the two chairs across his desk and moved to the other side, unbuttoning his suit before slouching into the chair and crossing his legs, his arms behind his head.

"As you may know, I'm the Administrator," he said, introducing himself. "I'm afraid I can't tell you my real name, job contract and all, but I know that you are called Ruby Rose."

Ruby nodded, uncertain as to how she should respond his bright and cheerful attitude.

"Not a talker, I see. Well then, I'll get straight to the point. No bullshit about me asking you how you like this place and all. I know this is a terrible place, and I know that you are a murderer and psychopath," he said smiling, "but that doesn't change my message."

He cleared his throat, clearly having given this speech many times in the past.

"Here, at Rogue camp, you work hard, learn hard, and eventually redeem yourselves. If you slack off or do not take your work seriously, you will be placed into solitary confinement and denied meals. Do well and focus, and you can be done with your training quickly and sent out to fight the Grimm at the frontiers. You come here to learn how to be Rogue Hunters-Huntresses in your case-and you will learn how to beat back the darkness and fight for the future of mankind. In your case, your weapon has been locked up in our heavily guarded armory. You will get it back upon demonstrating an ability to follow orders and after gaining our trust. As you may have already been told, your uniform have marks added to it upon being faithful and earning goodwill. Each tier will allow you more freedom and more responsibility. One red stripe is the beginning level, two green stripes is the next, then three blue stripes, and then finally back down to one black stripe.

As for the camp in general: Your warden has already explained to you the overall layout and functions of the camp. However, there is also one more thing. This entire area, encompassing far past this camp, is encased in a barrier. This barrier is so large that there are many square kilometers of unexplored territories within this region. This barrier is kept up by a massive Dust crystal that even I don't know the location to, and is impossible to escape. It prevents all living things from escaping and immediately incinerates any foreign material that comes in contact with it. You'll need specific keys to get in and out, and virtually no one here has any of those. The reason why I'm telling you all this is because A. no bullshit between us and B. no one has ever escaped.

As for the local fauna: The area around here is dominated by Grimm. You will be sent on missions to clear out Grimm nests as part of your training and as part of your work. You will also collect Grimm specimens for research purposes. More normal animals are scarce, so we eat Grimm monsters as a supplement to our supplies."

The administrator paused to regain is breath, his speech winding down.

"That's about it. You'll take classes on fighting Grimm at sporadic times, you'll know by the announcements. Otherwise, just listen to the loudspeakers every morning for your assignments. If you have any questions, feel free to ask your warden. Do well and finish training early, and you might get out of here faster than you expected. If you experience any difficulties at the camp, know that it is part of the experience of making yourself a better person."

Finished with his speech, the administrator sat up and buttoned his shirt again.

"And now, my break time is over. It was great meeting you, Ruby. If you don't have any further questions, you should leave quickly. I need to get back to my work," he explained apologetically.

Ruby gave him a small smile and a thanks, and got up. The warden also stood up and began walking towards the door. Ruby followed him, sparing one last glance at the administrator, who was beginning to sign sheets of paper and calculate figures.

The exited the building, the sun still beating down on them.

The warden led Ruby towards the kitchens.

"We'll grab a bite to eat, and then you can go sit in on some lessons," he said.

Ruby's stomach was an empty pit now, the snarling hunger in her belly growling to be filled.

"Thank you," she said, smiling. "By the way, what can I call you? Warden just sounds weird."

"Just call me Warden, and if your talking about me to anyone else, I am the Warden of 249. Our non-interference with prisoners includes the use of names, just like the administrator."

Ruby sighed, her smile disappearing. This was going to be a long stay.

* * *

**Note:**

**In response to a request for more warning of gore:**

**I can put a warning at the beginning of chapters, but any more would be much too disruptive to the flow and would be unfair to readers who may (or may not) enjoy the gorey parts.**

**This chapter got way too long, and I wanted to release another chapter before most of y'all went off the bed. So here it is.**

**Hopefully I can finish the next chapter in the wee hours of the morning. If it isn't uploaded then I've probably started typing nonsense and forced myself to stop writing.**

**Your kind reviews drive me to write more, thank you!**


	14. Introductions

After her morning snack, Ruby had gone off to attend one of the lessons. As she had suspected, the apple, cheese, and a bit of bread had done little to quell her appetite. The hunger inside her was a little more muted, the physical sensation of a full stomach calming it a bit, but Ruby knew she was just stalling.

"You won't learn much," the warden explained, unaware of her internal turmoil, "compared to what you've already learned at Beacon. None of the prisoners really pay attention to the lesson, and most use it as socializing time. I suggest you get to know your future cabin mates and sort out any issues you might have with them, or at least make a deal with them. You'll be with the same people every day, during lessons, meal times, and hunting trips. Good luck, Ruby." The warden had walked away, leaving Ruby alone and standing in the middle of the empty open dining area wondering what to do.

A voice came out of the loudspeakers.

"Prisoner D of residence 249, report to room 620 to attend your lessons. You have five minutes to arrive, and your arrival will be noted."

Ruby walked, taking her time, as 620 wasn't too far from the meal area.  _Do they have hidden speakers and cameras?_ she wondered.  _Surely they don't have enough people to track everyone during the entire day._

Arriving at the classroom, she noticed that the door was ajar and that the only sound coming out was the voice of the teacher droning on about Grimm. She opened the door a little more and slipped in, a small metal device to the side of the entrance giving a noise of acknowledgement as she stepped through the doorway.

About thirty people were setting on benches and stools, most of them looking anywhere from their twenties to their mid-forties. They fit the stereotypical image Ruby had of murderers and thieves, rough and scraggly and a few with bulging muscles. Some had long, unkempt hair, clearly having given up and accepted their predicament, while others had bald heads or military-style crew cuts, looking determined and experienced. Others just had their heads down on the table, sleeping, while some whispered to the people next to them. There were a few women scattered about the room, most with muscles of their own and dangerous expressions. They were all staring at her as she walked in, none of them paying attention to the lesson.

The teacher stood behind a desk, a textbook open on top of it. He was behind a large glowing barrier that took up one-fifth of the room, protecting him from the prisoners he was instructing. He was bored and reading from the textbook, throwing in occasional comments about sacrifice and teamwork.

Ruby ignored the stares and took at seat in the corner of the room, close to the door. The person next to Ruby was face-down on the desk, a mop of black hair obscuring her face as she slept. Tuning out the whispers, she attempted to hear what the teacher was saying.

"Nevermores are some of the toughest creatures you'll encounter. All you need to know is that their only weak points are their talons and eyes. The rest of their body is covered in extremely dense, tough feathers that are hard to cut through even with the sharpest of weapons. Thus, you'll need to someone to distract the nevermore while sending someone else to climb onto its head and stabs its eyes out. The bone plating on its head is also very tough, so make sure you aim well. Remember to send your weakest team member to distract the nevermore, preferably by sending him or her out alone and letting the nevermore claw the team member open. They love fresh organs for the abundant vitamins and nutrients located in them, so it will be busy eating your team member as you send someone to crawl up the bird's back. Sacrifices are always needed, and teamwork will allow you to persevere through the loss. I'm pretty sure that's how it works. Lesson over, open your textbooks and go read by yourselves."

The teacher sat back down and pulled out a tablet, flicking it open and focusing on the bright lights that began to flash across the screen.

Ruby sighed, grabbing the textbook on the floor next to the benches and flipping it open. The tome was old and dusty, the pages covered in holes and the bindings full of book lice. The text was nearly unreadable, the ink faded and the words in some archaic form of language. She realized that the camp clearly had no intention of ensuring the survival of their prisoners.

She gave up and closed the book, looking around. Once the lesson had ended, the prisoners had begun talking, hushed whispers spreading across the room. A mousy man got up from his chair, a brown mop of messy hair on his head and looking to be about thirty. He walked over to Ruby, a grin spreading across his face, showing his crooked teeth and pockmarked skin. Another man also got up at the same time, one of the muscle-bound men with a crew cut. He had a jutting brow with deep-set eyes and a square jaw, his uniform seeming hardly able to contain him.

Ruby noted the two green stripes on both of their shoulders as they walked towards her. The thin man stopped at her desk while the other man slapped his palm on the table, making the black-haired girl next to her jerk awake, wide-eyed. She looked at the men questioningly, then realized their object of attention and turned to Ruby. She had medium-length black hair, a light complexion, and startling green eyes. Faint bruises rimmed the underside of her eyes, giving her pretty face a weary expression.

"I'm John, and this is Bruiser," the mousy man said, an accent tinging his voice.

"So you're the new arrival, huh?" Bruiser said in a deep voice, with no sign of expression on his face.

Ruby wasn't sure how to respond, so she also kept her face neutral and nodded.

"My name's Ruby. Nice to meet you, I guess," she responded.

John's grin grew wider. "Nice to meet you too, darlin'. I'm sure we'll get to know each other very well tonight."

Bruiser grunted and pointed at the black-haired girl. "That's Julie, but we just call her the Bitch. She's our other cabin mate. She used to blab her mouth all the time, but now she's usually too busy to talk. Isn't that right, bitch?"

To emphasize his last point, he grabbed her hair and gave it a tug. "Why don't you tell Ruby here what happened?"

Even as she spoke, her frightened eyes told the story. "I-I used to talk a lot, but these two peo-" she gave a cry of pain as Bruiser tugged on her hair again, gulping, "t-these two g-gentlemen showed me where I was wrong, and I've learned my lesson now."

Bruiser let go her hair, giving her a parting sneer.

"We'll be havin' more time together in the future, Ruby", John said, turning and walking away.

Bruiser followed on his heels, the two walking back to a group of people who seemed to be handing little scraps of paper to each other. John whispered something, and the group of people suddenly roared with laughter, echoing across the room. Julie flinched a little, then sighed and put her head on the table again.

Ruby poked her shoulder.

"So Julie, how's camp so far?" she asked.

Julie turned her head to stare at her. "The two bastards kept me up all night. With you here, maybe they'll ignore me and I can get some damn sleep." She turned back, finished with her conversation.

Ruby frowned, a little annoyed at her attitude. Gazing at her, the hunger inside gave a little spike as Julie's hair settled onto the table, exposing her neck. Ruby leaned over her, breathing in Julie's smell of spun sugar.

Julie felt Ruby's breath on her neck and tried to get up. "What the fu-"

Ruby slammed her head back into the table, gripping her skull and pushing her against it.

"You smell nice," Ruby said.

Moving her lips to Julie's neck, she licked it and tasted her, nibbling at her with her teeth. Breaking a layer of skin, she tasted a bit of blood and flesh.

"Get off me, you little freak!" Julie cried, pushing herself up with her arms and trying to get her legs out from under the table.

A catcall sounded out as Ruby bit. Some people had been watching and they clearly appreciated the sight. Ruby realized where she was and backed off, releasing Julie's head.

"Woops, sorry, couldn't control myself a little there," Ruby said apologetically, wiping the drool off the corner of her mouth.

Julie stared at her. "Are you a fucking vampire or something? Stay the fuck away from me." She stood up and moved to a table across the room.

Ruby rubbed her chin with her sleeve, getting the last few remnants of saliva. Realizing that she did have a bit of similarity with the fictional creatures, she chuckled to herself. She had to do something about her hunger, or she might just accidentally invoke the warden's wrath on her first day.

Flipping the textbook open again, she focused on the text and began attempting to make sense of what she was reading, trying to stifle her need.

* * *

Lunch was a thin soup, cooked in large cauldrons that were suspended over fires. Ruby filled her bowl and sat at table 249, watching the prisoners stream in from the various gates around the camp. Most of them were dusty and bloody, some supporting their teammates while others limped along by themselves. Some of the uninjured ones pulled carts behind them, filled with weapons, small Grimm, and the limbs and other parts of larger ones. Someone tapped her shoulder, and she looked up. The warden was standing next to her, so she scooted over and he sat down.

"Those are the people who are coming back from Grimm-hunting," the warden explained. "You'll probably go hunt Grimm about once a week. These went to clear out a Death Stalker nest, which are pretty common around here. Some of the more injured ones will be given a reasonable amount of time to recuperate, but our medical facilities aren't very good and the people with more serious injuries usually die. You might be able to ask for treatment from some of the aura-healers around camp, but there are very few, as most healers don't usually commit offenses severe enough to be sent here."

Ruby nodded as he spoke, drinking down the bland soup and making a face. It tasted faintly of various meats and dried vegetables mixed together along with a hint of bitterness, the reconstituted vegetable bits tasting like paper.

The warden, seeing her expression, grinned a bit, the smile never reaching his eyes.

"The food at lunch is bad, but at dinner the day's catch will have been sorted out and you'll have some fresh meat to eat. The vegetables we get are all from the monthly shipments, and they're usually just dried or pickled ones. The soups will have some vitamins and minerals thrown in from the nutritional packets we get, so it might taste a bit weird but it'll keep your strength up."

There was a growing roar of conversation as nearly three thousand prisoners began file into the mess area, lining up at the cauldrons to grab their own bowls of soup and sitting down in various places, ignoring the labeled tables.

"One more thing, Ruby," the warden said. "Now that you've seen how life at camp is, you have to realize something: All of the people sent here are serial killers, unrepentant murderers, drug traffickers, slavery ring operators, and so forth, just like you, Ruby. Don't feel too much sympathy for anyone."

"Mhmm," Ruby said, focused on her food.

She didn't really need him to tell her. She knew what she had done and she suspected that others had committed similar offenses. At this point, Ruby didn't really care about what was going on around her and instead worked on quelling her appetite.

John and Bruiser headed towards Ruby, Julie nowhere in sight. They sat down in front of her, continuing their conversation and ignoring her.

The warden cleared his throat. "I assume you've all introduced yourselves?"

John and Bruiser nodded, never meeting the warden's gaze. "Yes sir, we met our Ruby at the lesson, sir," John simpered.

"Julie's eating lunch by herself again, sir," Bruiser said, explaining her absence.

The warden nodded. "Well, I'll leave you three be. You better get along now, you hear me?"

John and Bruiser nodded, and the warden walked away. The moment he left, they turned towards her.

"You see those people walkin' back from the huntin' expedition?" John asked.

"Yeah?" Ruby answered, wondering what he was going on about.

"I figure that if I rent you and the bitch out to our neighbors, we can get a lil' bit of protection during them expeditions."

"I see," Ruby said quietly. "Thanks for the offer, but I don't really want to make the wardens angry."

"Angry?" John exclaimed incredulously. "The wardens don't give a shit 'bout what we do, darlin'. As long as we don't kill anyone they don't give a single flying fuck. So how 'bout it?"

"You don't understand," Ruby said, getting up. "My answer is no, sorry."

Bruiser was getting angry. "This isn't a fucking offer, Ruby. Do it or we'll force you to do it, your decision."

Shaking her head, Ruby walked away.

Bruiser got up to follow her, but John put a hand on his arm. "Don't make a ruckus out here, there's too many of them damn wardens around. We'll teach her how to follow orders tonight."

Bruiser sat back down, growling. He picked up his bowl of soup and gulped it down.

"Oh, we'll teach her, alright."

* * *

Finishing the rest of her soup, Ruby set her bowl down at the edge of the eating area. She decided to take a walk and explore the camp to settle down her emotions and to scout the place out. Apparently the prisoners were free to go anywhere during lunch hours and downtime, as long as they didn't leave the camp.

She follow the paths winding between the buildings, noting down where the armory was at, where the fences were, and so forth. She saw some groups of people playing cards or rolling dice, handing around small scraps of paper whenever they lost or won. Sometimes, walking between buildings, she heard the sounds of lovemaking, some willing and others not so much. Ruby walked quickly by when she heard them, mostly to stop herself from joining in.

About half an hour later, the loudspeaker came back on.

"Residencies in bloc 100, report to building 790. Residencies in bloc 200, report to building 780. Arrive by thirteen-hundred."

Curious, she hurried to the buildings.

Arriving quickly, she noticed the crowd of people gathered around the area. At first confused as to how all the people would fit inside the squat red structures, she noticed wardens arriving and directing groups of people to the buildings between 780 and 790. Finding her warden in the crowd was hard, but as the people went into the buildings and the crowd thinned she saw him standing outside room 784, his arms crossed and waiting.

"Hurry up, it's starting," he said, ushering her in.

Ruby walked into the building and found a bench, sitting down. The room was organized similarly to the classroom she had in been earlier in the day, the benches positioned in rows. However, the warden at the front didn't need a barrier, instead relying on his own authority and strength to keep himself safe.

"In about three days you will be sent to clear out a boarbatusk cave and a death stalker nest. This assignment will be unusual, as some of you will be tasked with capturing a few young boarbatusks to bring back. If successful, those boarbatusks will be bred and domesticated to allow for a constant supply of fresh meat."

A few happy murmurs came from the crowd upon hearing the last statement.

"Tomorrow, the selected hunters will be given lessons on subduing and capturing boarbatusk. Details on where to convene and at what time will be given on the day of the hunt. Use the next three days to train yourselves and prepare. The training grounds will be open from 0-six-hundred to twenty-one-hundred. Any questions?"

The forty or so people in the room had begun whispering among themselves upon hearing the news, but none of them voiced any questions.

"Alrighty then. You are all dismissed."

 _That was fast_ , Ruby thought as she stood up to exit.

Moving towards the door, she was surprised when a hand grasped her bottom and an arm went under her chest, pulling her back into the rows of benches.

"Hello," a masculine voice whispered in her ear. "I'm Benjamin, but you can call me Ben. How about we go and have some fun after this?"

Looking up, she stared into gray blue eyes set in a good looking, clean-shaven face, with short blonde hair and a strong jaw. Ruby had expected the offers to occur and sorely wanted to accept them, but she told herself that she didn't want to cause any trouble and ruin her chances of surviving through the camp. Regretting it, she slapped his hand away a little harder than she had intended to, a little  _pop_  sounding out as two of his fingers dislocated.

He hissed and pulled his hand back, roughly grabbing his fingers and jamming them back into place.

"Damn, girl, if you didn't want to do anything you should have just said so," he said angrily, brushing past her and heading for the exit.

Ruby felt a little guilty at injuring his pride, but she stuffed those feelings down and also exited the building, heading in the opposite direction she saw Ben leave in.

She couldn't risk going to the training grounds, afraid that the energy and violence would loosen her self-control too much. Walking a bit further, she chose an empty alleyway and sat down, knees to her chest and arms around them. Breathing a sigh of relief as she sat there in silence, away from people, she slowly nodded off, head on her knees, as she dreamed of the world she had lost.

* * *

**Note:**

**That was this chapter! A bit longer than usual.**

**If you haven't noticed by now, the story is being told in a third-person point of view that focuses on Ruby and the events surrounding her. I felt that it would be too jarring to have the pov switch from Ruby to people many, many miles away. Thus, my style of storytelling focuses mostly on Ruby and then on any people who might interact with or affect her.**

**I can't really say any more because I want the story to be suspenseful, but I hope you understand my reasoning now.**

**Sorry if you think that this chapter was a bit dry, I had to set some things up. The next chapter will be better, I promise! I might even get it released today!**


	15. Struggle Snuggle

**Warning: This chapter is violent. Skim the violent areas and skip to the next paragraph for plot if you do not wish to read them. This warning will only appear in applicable chapters.**

* * *

Ruby woke up, the sound of the dinner chimes from the loudspeaker ringing in her ears. The sun was beginning to slip under the horizon, the last rays of light casting her surroundings in an orange glow. Her stomach growled, reminding her of not just the physical hunger but also her emotional aching.

 _Maybe I'll go pay Julie a visit,_  she thought to herself as she stood up, stretching to get rid of the cramps she had from sleeping in an awkward position. Straightening out her sleeves and pants and dusting herself off, she started walking towards the dining area. As she walked, she noticed a lot of people coming from the training area, sweaty and exhausted. Ruby watched enviously as they patted each other on the backs and laughed together, reveling in their social contact.  _Once I deal with my issue, I can go make some friends. After all, we're all criminals here_.

The smell of roasting meat pervaded her senses as she stepped into the dining area. Roasts of all sizes and shapes were on spits above flames, shimmering with fat and oil and the promise of satisfaction. Stacks of towels were next to them, used by prisoners to wipe themselves clean after eating. Many had already arrived before her and were tearing into the meat on the spits. Denied of sharp knives and eating utensils, the prisoners tore off chunks with their bare hands, wiping them down on nearby towels.

Ruby waited until some cooks set up another spit, spearing the raw meat onto a metal rod and hoisting it over the campfire. After they had walked off, Ruby waited a few seconds for the surface of the meat to heat up. She then gripped the roast tightly and ripped off a large chunk, the sound of flesh separating with a wet  _squelch_. Holding the warm meat in her hands, she grabbed a plate and plopped it down, walking off to her table.

She ripped into the raw meat, savoring the blood and warmth. This was a last-ditch attempt at attempting to quell her hunger, trying to trick herself into thinking that she was holding a live person, eating their writhing flesh and drinking their blood. Unfortunately, the moment the meat entered her mouth she tasted its deadness, its lack of living scent. Refusing to give up, she ate more and more, tearing off larger and larger chunks.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone at another table pointing at her and talking to the three people next to him. Ruby recognized one of them as Ben, who was whispering into the man's ear and grabbing his arm. The man snorted and shook Ben off, and got up to get more food. Ben gave up and shook his head, sighing.

Unable to affect her inner desire, she got up quickly and began walking to her cabin, hoping to find Julie. Unnoticed by her, the man also got up and followed after her.

* * *

Ruby arrived at the cabin, still ravenous in more ways than one.

Opening the door, she called "Julie? Are you there?"

Ruby stepped into the room and attempted to close the door behind her, only to find the bulk of a man filling the doorway, his blunt yellow teeth looking monstrous in the dim light.

"Hello, little girl. Do you want to play?" he asked nastily, closing the door behind him.

Ruby's vision swam, the man's profile in startling clarity but with everything around him blurry and tinged with red.

"Yes, yes I do," she said happily, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards her.

* * *

Ben walked home with his two companions, Scrap and John. Scrap was a pathetic scrap of a man, as his namesake suggested, but was otherwise loyal to the bone. Ben also personally disliked John and his suck-up attitude, but John had influence over Bruiser and Bruiser was a valuable ally. The other man, Denton, had left before they finished dinner, chasing after Ruby.

They walked towards John's cabin, John excitedly talking about the arrival and what he was going to do to her. Ben had seen her during the hunting briefing, but she had rejected him and his protection. Now whatever happened to her was her own fault.

Screaming came from the residence in front of them.

"That's probably Denton breaking the new bitch in," John laughed.

His grin faded as he realized that the screams were masculine in nature. He sprinted towards the house, Ben and Scrap running after him.

"Denton? Denton? You okay in there?" John whined, fingers fumbling as he tried to grasp the doorknob.

The door swung open and they rushed in, stopping cold seconds later, trying to wrap their minds around what they were seeing.

Denton was on the floor, a pool of blood growing around him as Ruby crouched on top of him, gnawing on a white and red object in her hands. Reaching down into Denton's chest and snapping off another object, Ben realized with growing horror that she was crunching on Denton's ribs.

There were dark spaces where some ribs were missing, the gleam of Denton's heart visible through the gaps. Denton's screaming were growing weaker as Ben watched the blood pour from his savaged limbs, his arms torn off at the shoulders and his legs missing below the kneecap. Every time Denton spasmed and tried to unseat Ruby, she merely slammed a foot into his shoulder, the snapping and grinding of bone fragments clearly audible.

Ruby looked up, cracking a bone open and sucking down the marrow. "Sorry for the noise, I got a bit hungry and fresh meat tastes better with the scent of pain and fear." She looked down again, seemingly just realizing what she had done. "Oh man, I think I went a little too far. Do you guys want to take him for treatment or can I finish...?"

"Get off of him," Ben said, his face tight and drawn.

Ruby was puzzled, sitting still as she considered what he said.

"I said,  _Get off of him!_ " Ben screamed, rushing up to push Ruby away.

Ruby evaded his hands and shoved him back, staining his clothes with blood and pieces of flesh.

"Alright, alright," she said, jumping off of him and moving to lean against the bed.

Ben got to his knees and cradled Denton's head in his hands.

"Calm down," Ben murmured, "we're here for you. We stopped her, shh, everything will be okay."

The wet rasping noise that had been Denton's screaming finally stopped, tears still streaming down his eyes as he blubbered.

"It hurts, it hurts," he said hoarsely, "Ben, the bitch was eating me alive, oh god, it hurts so much. Make it stop, Ben, make it stop."

Ben lowered his head and whispered in the man's ear. The man nodded, a relieved expression on his face. Uttering a small prayer, Ben took Denton's head in his hands and  _twisted_ , silencing Denton's whimpering. Ben turned and stared at Ruby, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Run down to the administration office and tell them what happened," he told Scrap, who took off immediately, eager to get away from the scene.

Ruby had stretched out on the bed, her hunger satisfied and warm meat filling her belly, hands behind her head as she drowsily began to nod off, when the sound of clomping boots woke her up and a light was shined into her eyes.

"Get up, Ruby," her warden said, motioning for her to step outside.

Two medical workers entered the room to pick up the Denton's body, Ben following them as they carried the body to the medical facilities.

The sun had already set, the darkness only broken by a bright white light, as Ruby stepped outside. The administrator was standing there, holding a glowing lantern and looking at her with a disappointed expression.

"First day and already killing people?" the administrator asked, stepping aside to reveal a man in a green scrub behind him.

"Well, it's been a long day, and technically Ben killed him," Ruby offered.

"You know," he said slowly, "Ben is my brother. He fell into a despicable life of crime after our parents died, but I gave him a chance to come here, to make up for what he's done." He sighed and shook his head. "Well, that's all in the past now."

He gestured for the man in the green scrub to come forward.

"As you've said, technically Ben killed Denton, and so the only thing we can punish you for is grievous bodily injury. Because of the nature your offenses, we've decided to restrict your strength and lower your aura to the bare minimum."

Ruby shrugged, uncaring. She was happy and sated and blissful right now, the hunger still in her mind but satisfied and willing to let smaller issues take precedence.

The man in green held a pile of metal spikes in his hands, each of them about half an inch in diameter and of varying lengths, carved with glyphs that were emitting a small blue glow.

"There are ninety-six spikes in total. Four go in your upper arms, four in your lower arms, 8 in your upper legs, and 8 in your lower legs," the man said gruffly. "It's going to hurt when we put them in. Do you want to do it here, or would you prefer to be sedated at the medical facility?"

"Here," Ruby said. "Let's get this over with so I can go to sleep."

The man nodded, pulling out a small mallet. "We'll need something to brace your arm on, to make sure I don't fracture your bones."

Ruby thought for a second. "We could do it on the bed," she said, giggling a bit at the innuendo.

The administrator let out another little sigh and the man in scrubs frowned.

Ruby led the way, stopping at her bed and lying down, arms and legs spread out.

There was a slight sensation of pain and discomfort whenever a spike went in, but it was nothing compared to the heartache she had gone through.

Working quickly and efficiently, he was done in less than a minute. Ruby stood up, wobbling a bit, feeling the spikes dig into her muscles and attach themselves, becoming part of her. The pieces of metal protruded a bit from her legs and arms, the glow in them fading and disappearing. The hunger in her mind was suddenly heavily muted, as if a lead blanket had been placed over it.

"Impressive," the administrator said. "I think you're the only one who hasn't been screaming while these were being put in."

Ruby realized that her hunger didn't limit her anymore. It was still there, but smothered, and Ruby was sure that her urges would come less frequently and less strongly now.

"Thank you," she said, smiling brightly.

The administrator raised an eyebrow but said nothing, leading the man in green scrubs out of the room.

Ruby turned back to the bed, just noticing the blood that was leaking out of the holes in her arms.

"Oh crud, the bed's covered in blood!" she exclaimed. She heard the administrator chuckle at her outburst as he walked away.

She sighed and resigned herself to sleeping the dirty bed. However, she had to do something about her bloody clothes. Going to the corner of the room with the washtub, she picked it up in her sore arms and wondered where she could fill it with water. Small lights suddenly turned on in the corners of the room, seemingly activating based on the light conditions, the few previously unnoticed lights barely illuminating the floor and the beds.

Walking out the door, she noticed that the paths between the houses were also lit with hidden light sources under the sandy dirt, lighting up the road and lending the buildings a soft glow. A few seconds down the path, she bumped into Julie, who was returning to the cabin.

"Hey, Julie!" Ruby said brightly, glad to have found someone she knew. "Do you know where I can fill this thing?"

Julie backed up upon seeing her, a snarl on her face. She turned and began running in the opposite direction.

"Wait up!" Ruby said, running after her.

Although her strength had been restricted, she still had a decent amount left and her endurance hadn't been affected, so she chased after Julie effortlessly, eventually catching up to her, throwing the washtub onto the ground and tackling her.

"Get. Off." Julie panted, weakly pushing at Ruby.

Ruby still wanted to eat her, but she could control those urges now. Resisting her impulses, she just gave Julie a little kiss on the cheek and sat up.

"Only if you tell me where I can get water," Ruby said, grinning.

Julie gave up on struggling, instead taking deep breaths and trying to recover. "The communal pumps are in bloc 300, in the center of the row of residences."

"Thank you!" Ruby beamed, flipping Julie over and giving her a peck on the lips before she could react.

Standing up quickly, she trotted off to the pump, where she found a small line of people waiting, most of them tired and sleepy and willing to ignore her. A few stared at the spikes in her arms and legs but averted their gaze when Ruby looked back at them.

She might go use the laundry rooms tomorrow, but right now she was sleepy and needed her rest. After waiting a few minutes, she got her washtub filled and walked back to the cabin carefully to prevent any water from spilling. Setting the washtub down and opening the door, she tried to remain silent in order to avoid disturbing anyone who might be sleeping.

Julie was already in bed in her clothes, trying to get some sleep in before John and Bruiser came back. She was awakened by the sound of Ruby shouldering the door closed behind her.

"Already sleeping?" Ruby asked, setting down the washtub and beginning to strip.

Julie swore under her breath. "I have to be in here because of the stupid rules," she said, "so stay the hell away from me, alright? I already get enough shit from John and Bruiser." Looking closer, she noticed Ruby's arms and legs. "What the hell happened to you? Oh my god, do you have some sort of sick body modification fetish? Cause that's just wrong, and where the hell did you even find the spikes?"

Ruby had finished taking off her clothes, the dim lighting giving her pale skin a gentle warmth, the metal in her arms and legs gleaming. Ignoring Julie's question, she washed her hands and limbs of blood, her wounds already healed. The clothes were dropped into the washtub, Ruby letting them soak. Taking her time, she picked up the toothbrush in the corner and brushed her teeth, rinsing her mouth. After she was done, she turned and started walking towards Julie, who had been staring gleaming metal in her arms, mesmerized.

Breaking off her gaze, Julie noticed Ruby approaching. "W-wait, stay back, damn it!"

Ignoring her protests, Ruby crawled into bed next to her, the sharp pieces of metal catching on the blankets. Julie pushed against her and tried to roll out of bed, but Ruby caught her arms and drew her into her body, cuddling her. The edges of the spikes bit through Julie's clothing and nipped at Julie skin, drawing a bit of blood and making her whimper.

"We can just cuddle if you want," Ruby said, sighing and leaning her head on Julie's shoulder, breathing her sweet scent in. "These clothes sure are pesky though." With that thought, Ruby sat up, hauling Julie up with her and pulling Julie's shirt over her head. She then flipped Julie over, gripping her pants and pulling them off in one stroke.

"No, stop," Julie cried, "Give those back!"

Ruby wasn't finished yet. She grabbed Julie's tank top and also took it off, along with her panties.

"There we go," Ruby crooned, grabbing Julie's neck and crotch and pulling her toward her.

Julie whined as she felt the metal on Ruby's arms scratching her back and breasts, blood welling from the shallow cuts. She shuddered a little as Ruby began licking them, renewing her efforts to get free.

"Shh, I just want to cuddle," Ruby repeated, grazing Julie's skin with her teeth as a promise of what might happen, "but we can get more serious if you want."

Julie stopped struggling, tears running down her face as she let Ruby fondle her breasts and lick her cuts until she fell asleep. With Ruby asleep, she tried once more to wriggle out of her grasp, but Ruby growled a little and tightened her grip, making Julie freeze.

She sniffled a little and waited for John and Bruiser to return.

An hour later, the two men had gathered up enough courage to go into the cabin, afraid of what might be awaiting them. They stepped into the room, the bloodstains on the floor and bits of tissue in the corner reminding them of what they had heard from Scrap. They were a bit disappointed when they saw that Julie had been taken, but they knew better than to disturb the girl who had eaten Denton's ribs and tiptoed around her, going to their own beds.

Seeing that not even her other two cabin mates would help her, fresh tears began to flow from Julie's face, silently crying and afraid to wake Ruby up. Resigning herself and going limp, she finally slipped into a slumber, completely exhausted.

* * *

**Notes:**

**Some Q & A I feel that wouldn't spoil anything:**

**Q: I mean you have stated clearly multiple times in this(last) chapter that she is a unrepentant killer but does she not feel anything for her previous victim's at all after finding out her reason's weren't justified?**

**A: I mean, maybe I haven't been clear enough but she's more crazy than she's ever been before, especially after losses of friends and family. She's making overt passes at people, nearly completely controlled by her hunger, while previously she was too shy to even speak to someone and instead relied on killing strangers to get her jollies. She's also a lot happier in more inappropriate situations now. Ruby is basically repressing her past and focusing on her present.**

**Also, jesus christ Julie, shut up already. This is why people don't like you.**


	16. Acquaintances

The dim morning light shone down on her as Ruby strolled down the path, wearing just her tank top and shorts. The sun was coming up and the temperature was beginning to rise. Ruby was surprised she could feel the heat, not as strongly as she should be feeling it but still more than her previous numbness.

She had woken up earlier than the morning bells, a nagging thought in the back of her head, begging to be let out. Her hunger was sleeping now, even more muted than the day before. Taking advantage of the fact that most prisoners were still asleep, she took a silent walk around the camp, alone in her own mind.

The first thought penetrated the weakened veil of lust.  _What am I doing here?_  Ruby wondered, kicking at the pebbles on the sides of the path.  _Redemption? Yes, redemption. I'll serve my time here and then I'll..._  Her footsteps faltered, Ruby pausing in the middle of the street.  _And then what?_

Ruby began walking again, considering her options.  _Well, I haven't really done anything yet, and this darn collar is still around my throat. Maybe after we go monster hunting I'll think of something to do._

Satisfied with her own answer, she headed back to the cabin, arriving just as the loudspeaker began to chime. Ruby put on her soaking shirt and pants, having forgotten to take them out of the washtub the previous night. The soggy coldness chilled her skin, but she knew the rising sun would soon dry them.

Sitting down at the edge of the bed, she watched as Julie's eyes slowly opened.

"Good morning, Julie!" she cheered.

Julie jerked back quickly upon hearing her voice, giving a little squeak and hitting her head on the wall.

"W-wha? What do you want? We're going to have breakfast soon, well I mean I'm going to have breakfast soon or there will be breakfast soon, no offense, not that I don't want to have breakfast with you, but back to the topic I don't think you have any time to-" Ruby put a finger on her lips, silencing her.

"Shhh," Ruby said. "You talk a lot, you know that? I just wanted to watch you wake up," she said, smiling.

Julie shivered.

John and Bruiser were also getting up, putting on their clothes and studiously ignoring Ruby.

"Good morning to you two!" Ruby said, turning and grinning at them.

They didn't respond.

Ruby shrugged to herself, content to ignore them if they wanted to ignore her.

"Welp, I'm off to get breakfast!" she declared.

Turning and running out the door, Ruby was eager to get the day started.

* * *

The sounds of grunts and smacks echoed across the field, the training ground already full of people. Having eaten a quick breakfast of porridge and an orange, Ruby had immediately gone to the training area, eager to participate now that she had her appetite on a leash.

The training ground was basically a gigantic field, with sections cordoned off for various types of activities. Some sections had obstacle courses, tall wooden structures with asymmetric proportions and handholds sticking out, while other sections had straw dummies, wood rods supplied for prisoners to practice with. An archery field also took up a large amount of space, each bow and arrow labeled with a tracking device that prevented its removal from the archery section. There was also a general weapons section, with a selection of wooden swords, axes, spears, and so forth for prisoners to use to spar with each other. Wardens were everywhere, standing guard and making sure that no prisoners died or tried to steal and hide weapons.

Ruby headed to the straw dummies, eager to smash and destroy something. Entering the section and grabbing a rod, she spent an hour pretending she was wielding her scythe, systematically smacking around and then exploding each dummy with a concentrated smash, leaving behind a pile of ripped cloth and straw. After ruining countless dummies, the wardens finally noticed what she was doing, coming over and yelling at her for destroying the straw mannequins and forcing her to rebuild them. Another two hours was spent stuffing straw back into cloth sacks and setting them upright.

Vowing to never return to the dummy section, she headed to the sparring area, grabbing a long wooden halberd and trying to find someone to spar with. A man and a woman walked towards her, one olive-skinned and dark-haired, the other pale with bright red-orange hair in a bun on her head. The man held a spear, while the woman held two swords.

Ruby stopped walking, wondering if they were going to attack her. To her surprise, the man grinned, pearly-white teeth showing, while the woman also gave her a smile.

"So you're the one everyone's been talking about," he said. "I heard you tortured Denton to within an inch of his life."

"And then I ate him," Ruby said quietly.

They paused for a second.

"Well, I never liked the man anyway," the woman said, giving a little chuckle. "So you eat people huh? You gonna eat us too?"

Ruby opened up a little, their warm attitudes easing her. "Not if I can help it," she said, baring her teeth and smirking.

"Ooh, feisty," the man laughed, holding out his hand. "I'm Maximilian, she's-"

"Lily," the woman interrupted, barging in front of him and glaring at him. "I can introduce myself, thank you very much."

The two held their glares for a few seconds before breaking apart and laughing, sharing an inside joke between themselves.

"Nice to meet you," Ruby said, taking her hand and shaking it. "So, do you guys wanna practice?"

"Yep, that's what we're here for," Maximilian said, immediately crouching and settling into a stance. Lily backed off to the side, giving them space to fight.

Ruby pretended to raise her halberd into a defensive position, then immediately struck, disregarding strategy or fighting style. Utilizing the her weapon's length, she swung lightning-fast in a massive arc, Maximilian barely having time to raise his weapon before Ruby's halberd slammed into it. With a resounding  _crack_ , the two weapons shattered, wood fragments flying in all directions. Without a pause, Ruby leaped forward, landing on one foot and pivoting, turning her forward momentum into a quick roundhouse kick, her foot smacking into Maximilian's crossed arms.

As Ruby had suspected, Maximilian was an aura user, the small tint of brown rising off of his skin indicating the activation of his aura. Glad she hadn't misjudged and accidentally killed him, she continued her attack, bringing her foot back down to the ground and sweeping her leg under him to knock him off of his feet. Maximilian leapt a few inches into the air, just enough to avoid her kick. Setting one foot down, he stabilized himself and aimed a snap-kick at Ruby's stomach.

Catching hold of his foot with an  _oof_ , Ruby held on, letting herself be swung upwards as he raised his leg in an axe-stomp to try to make her let go. Realizing he was going to slam her into the ground, she let go of his foot, flying back a few feet and landing and rolling, quickly standing back up.

Maximilian backed off, letting Lily take his place.

"My turn," Lily said, grinning and throwing her another halberd.

In her hands she held two short swords. Without any flashy spinning or readjusting, she walked quickly towards Ruby, crossing the swords in front of her.

Ruby caught the halberd reflexively. Realizing that her halberd was unwieldy and not suited for close-range fighting, she broke off half of the handle on her knee, transforming it into a short axe of some sort. Suddenly, Lily was upon her, swinging her swords in a blur, an orange aura around her and waves of heat rippling outwards from each swing.

Ruby ducked low and swung her axe at Lily's knees, aiming for an unprotected area. A sword flashed down and intercepted her ax, catching the head of Ruby's weapon and knocking it aside.

Instantly letting go of her axe, Ruby stood up and punched towards Lily's neck, attempting to disable her. A sword swung back up to block, only to be shattered by Ruby's fist. Lily moved her head to the side, her pale green eyes open wide as Ruby's knuckles barely missed her jaw. Ruby brought her other hand up, catching the arm that still had the sword, and brought down her other fist, grabbing Lily's shoulder. Before she could react, Ruby had flipped over her and locked her arm behind her, unbalancing Lily and letting herself fall back and push her to the ground.

"Umphf unmgprhrh," Lily said.

"Huh?"

She spat out a mouthful of dirt, coughing. "I surrender."

"Oh, sorry!"

Ruby immediately got off and extended a hand, pulling Lily to her feet. "Are you ok?" she asked.

"The only thing that's bruised is my pride," Lily laughed, "and my face."

Maximilian rushed over to her side, helping her dust her clothes off and turning to face Ruby. "Sorry, we get a bit too eager sometimes," he said apologetically.

Ruby thought she detected a proud glint in their eyes, but decided not to comment.

"So, are you guys ready for another round?"

The two just grinned and rushed her.

* * *

Ruby brought the bowl up to her mouth, swallowing a mouthful of the stale liquid and setting it back down. Lily and Maximilian sat across from her, shoulder to shoulder. They watched her eat, bowls empty in front of them, clearly waiting for her to begin asking questions.

"So, how'd you two get locked up in here?" Ruby asked, wiping her mouth.

The couple glanced at each other, and Lily began talking. "Usually prisoners don't tell each other these things, because we try to avoid mentioning our pasts. But for you, we can make an exception."

She paused, taking a breath. "We were smugglers, dealing with rare, high-quality, high-density Dust crystals." Seeing Ruby's puzzled expression, she clarified. "It's those crystals you see in display cases on the news and in your textbooks. The really large, shiny crystals, bigger than a man's head."

"Woahh," Ruby said. "Aren't those really dangerous? I heard that strong glyph-users used them to just explode- _bwoosh_ -entire areas of Grimm."

Lily nodded. "And they can be used to  _bwoosh_ people too, which is why they are so dangerous. I suspect that the crystal powering this camp's barrier must be exceptionally powerful and the controllers especially skilled, if they are able to maintain such stability over such a long period of time."

Max cleared his throat. "So, back on topic," he said. "Long story short, we got caught smuggling the crystals and we were sent to prison. These crystals can cause huge amounts of damage, so transporting them illegally is a pretty serious offense, with most cases ending in capital punishment. Because we were young and foolish-" Lily punched his arm "-ahem, not saying we still aren't, we got off with a slap on the wrist by pleading ignorance."

Lily continued. "Of course, Max here had the  _brilliant_  scheme of trying to transport them again, saying that this time the crystals would be  _'completely hidden_ '," Lily mimicking his voice.

Max blushed a bit, the tinge of pink nearly unnoticeable over his bronze skin. "Anyways, we were caught again, only this time because a raid was conducted on the same ship we were transporting things on. We got caught in the search when they started questioning all the passengers." His face grew somber. "When they saw our crystals, they tried to take them by force and attacked us. We fought back, but we were eventually cornered in our room on the ship. They basically ended up grenading us and pumping us full of bullets."

Lily had grown quiet too. A few moments passed before she spoke again. "We somehow survived, too pitifully injured to execute. They expected us to die, and when we didn't, they just sent us to this Rogue camp." She paused. "So now you know our story. How did you get sent here?"

Ruby hesitated a bit, wondering if she should tell them. She made a decision and shook her head. "Maybe later," Ruby said, a sad note in her voice. _  
_

"We understand," Lily nodded. "We've had our fair share of traumatic experiences."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, Ruby finishing her lunch and enjoying their company.

The loudspeaker suddenly sounded out, making an announcement.

"All prisoners from bloc 200 previously selected for the monster hunting expedition, please report to the custom area of the training grounds by thirteen-thirty for boarbatusk training."

A few cheers came up from the tables around her, some prisoners clearly happy about being selected to fight the Grimm pigs instead of the fearful death stalkers.

"Well, I better go," Ruby said regretfully. "It was really, really nice meeting you two," she said, beaming.

"Likewise," Maximilian and Lily said. "Stay safe, Ruby, and good luck."

Ruby nodded and walked off, heading back to the training grounds.

* * *

**Note:**

**Mmph, this chapter was a bit short relative to the previous two chapters, but in line with the previous previous previous chapters. Anyways, my life is getting pretty busy, but I think tomorrow's chapter will be longer and more exciting :)**

**To clear up any misunderstandings:**

**1\. Collars are for high-security or notorious prisoners, whether they are actually dangerous or not. A lot of non-too-strong prisoners have collars, simply because of their reputations. The public would go batshit if those prisoners somehow escaped, so those collars are put on as a last-resort type of thing in the minuscule, impossible chance that the prisoner actually escapes.**

**2\. The barrier is approximately 10 square miles in radius, giving it a 314 sq mile area. For reference, Washington DC is only 68 square miles.**

**I just realized that I can clear up some questions about my universe, and how it follows the laws of the RWBY universe and what assumptions it makes. I was thinking about making some sort of appendix after finishing Act 1, but I realized that's still awhile off and I could start answering questions now. If you have any questions, feel free to private message me them, and I will respond to you ASAP and I will post them in the next chapter with answers. Of course, if you ask me something that reveals too much, I might not answer.**


	17. Training

**Warning: This chapter is violent. Skim the violent areas and skip to the next paragraph for plot if you do not wish to read them. This warning will only appear in applicable chapters.**

* * *

The custom area of the training grounds was exactly what the name implied, able to be adapted for various types of events. Right now all the structures and implements had been taken down, leaving a vast, bare field. The four-hundred or so prisoners were gathered in a crowd, silent as the warden spoke.

"The next monster-hunting expedition will involve the clearing of a boarbatusk herd and a death stalker nest. Your bloc has been selected for the boarbatusk portion of the expedition. While part of your job will be to kill the boarbatusks, you will also need to capture a few alive. The person who brings in the most boarbatusks will be able to request a favor from the administrator. Those who do not bring in a boarbatusk will be forced to maintain the training grounds and clean the latrines."

The warden motioned for another warden to bring him a wooden object.

"This," he said, holding it up in the air, "is a device used to subdue the boarbatusks. The tough hide of the boarbatusks usually means that most of your attacks will be focused on attacking their vital parts and killing them, which goes against your objective. Thus, you will use this specially designed wooden paddle. One side will be covered in sharp hooks, allowing you to penetrate the hides of the boarbatusks yet refrain from delivering fatal wounds. The hooks will be blunted for this exercise. Any questions?"

There was some muttering, but nobody voiced their opinions.

"Great," the warden said. "If you're feeling bored, you'll be glad to know that you'll be practicing against each other."

A roar suddenly came out, the crowd of people getting excited. A few started brawling, forcing wardens to go in and break them apart.

"Don't go overboard, just get used to the weight of the weapons. Without any further delays, we will begin. Come up and grab a paddle."

The prisoners rushed forward, grabbing paddles from the piles at the front and immediately turning on each other, some people sparring with friends and learning to use the weapons while others sought out rivals and began beating them down. When things got too violent, wardens ran in and confiscated their weapons, roughing them up and sending them to stand on the sidelines.

Ruby grabbed a paddle, hefting its weight. It was made out of a solid slice of wood, one side covered in blunted hooks. The weapon was head-heavy, unbalanced and unwieldy. Ruby thought she could manage, but she still felt like she would do much better with her real weapon.

Looking up, she saw one of the wardens in her area being called away. The warden protested a bit, but the voice from the tablet he was talking into insisted and he walking away, frowning.

A blur appeared in her vision and Ruby raised her paddle, the blocking the attack with a glancing impact and jumping back. Five people stood in front of her, Ben the only one Ruby recognized. In the group was a bear faunus and a ram faunus, one recognizable by his round ears and the other recognizable by the horns that curled from the side of his head all the way back to his jaw. The other two were a man with long, greasy hair, his face unshaven and his eyes a little wild, and a girl with a crew cut, her bulging muscles lending her an amazonian look. All of them held modified paddles in their hands, a ring of metal surrounding the outside of the wood and the hooks on them sharpened and gleaming.

Ben spoke first. "Now that you've got those spikes in you, how 'bout we have a little  _fun_?" Ben sneered, flipping the paddle in his grip.

"They told us our sentences in this hellhole would be shortened by a year if we got rid of you," the man with the oily hair said nervously, one eye twitching.

"Shut up, Richard. Oh yes, and one more thing. I have to repay you for _killing Denton_ ," Ben snarled, emphasizing the last two words.

Without warning, the amazon blurred forward, swinging her paddle. Ruby brought her own paddle up, but the reinforced wood smashed through it, sending jagged splinters of wood through Ruby's hand.

Ben barked out a laugh. "Not so tough without your aura now, are you?"

They all jumped her at once, ripping their paddles into her. Ruby weaved and dodged, trying to make sure that the paddles didn't hit her muscles and paralyze her movement. The paddles tore holes into her stomach and chest, the attackers aiming for her vitals.

Although she felt more pain than she should have, she was still able to suppress it, reaching out and letting her hand be hooked onto a paddle. She gripped it and tore it out of the amazon's hand, the woman giving out a cry of surprise. Reversing the paddle, she brought up as much aura as she could, swinging the weapon back at her. The woman raised her arm in a futile attempt to block, Ruby's blow breaking her arm in two and continuing its trajectory, smashing into the side of her head and scattering her brains onto the bear faunus next to her.

Ruby was focusing completely on offense now, concentrating her aura in her strength and ignoring her defense.

The bear faunus reared back, startled by the grey fluid that had splattered all over him. Taking advantage of this momentary distraction, Ruby aimed for his hand, sinking the hooks into it and ripping his hand off, making his amputated hand fly away with the paddle still gripped in it, white tendons and red muscles trailing from his exposed wrist bones. He stumbled back, reaching for his hand, but Ruby ducked another swing and followed him, inserting the hooks into his chest and ripping the paddle back out, pieces of his lungs and twitching heart flying everywhere.

Ruby saw the next blow but couldn't dodge it, as she was still trying to dislodge the edge of her paddle from the bear faunus' ribcage. Although managing to avoid letting the paddle hit her eyes, she still caught it on her jaw, the hooks cracking through her teeth and digging into her bone. Ben followed through with the motion, partially ripping out her jaw and opening up the soft underside of her mouth, blood beginning to spurt out.

Ben let out a surprised  _oomph_  as Ruby ignored her injury and rammed herself into him, taking him by surprise and feeling his ribs crack.

Even as Ben's body flew back, Ruby spun and threw her paddle at the last two men, her paddle catching onto one man's long hair and hooking into the side of his skill, ripping out a piece of bone and skin with the hair still attached, leaving him convulsing on the floor.

Charging the last one standing, the ram faunus, she ignored the paddle that hooked into her sternum and broke her ribs, instead grabbing hold of his horns and pushing her thumbs into his eyes, bursting them, the sticky vitreous fluid leaking onto her hands even as she sank the broken and jagged teeth in her upper jaw into his neck, moving her head to the side and ripping his throat out.

She stood for a few more seconds, hearing the ram's body falling to the ground next to her. She felt lightheaded as the room around her began to spin, the adrenaline fading and blood pumping from the holes in her neck and torso. Tipping to the side, she fell onto the ram's still-twitching body.

And then the strangest thing happened. The blood around Ruby reversed its flow, drawn to her body, going into her exposed veins and muscles and being absorbed through her skin. The metal limiters in her arms and legs glowed a brilliant blue and felt incredibly hot, her red aura beginning to coalesce faintly around her. Ruby felt her bleeding stop, watching in fascination as her muscles knit themselves back together and the skin healed over them before her eyes, the holes created by the hooks reduced faint white scars. Ruby spat out broken shards of her teeth as she felt her jaw reattach, running her tongue over the newer, pointier set of teeth growing in.

Feeling less lightheaded and able to stand up now, she got to her feet, shreds of her clothing left behind in the puddles of dried blood on the ground. Looking around, she noticed that the surrounding prisoners had formed a ring around Ruby, gawking at her as she took down her attackers and healed back up.

Ben was propped up on his elbows, still coughing a bit as he stared at Ruby. Looking down, Ruby noticed that she was nearly completely exposed, the paddles having torn away much of her clothing. She frowned a little and moved forward, intent on ending his life. Ben's eyes widened as he watched Ruby stalk towards him, scuttling backwards as he tried to get away from her.

Ruby couldn't let him lose her in the crowd, so she closed the distance in one step and grabbed his neck, preparing to tear his head off.

"Ruby Rose, I order you to freeze!" a warden bellowed. He had pulled out an extending javelin, an aqua-green glow surrounding it, aiming it at her head.

She ignored him, Ben beginning to scream as she started pulling.

The javelin slammed into the side of her head and passed out of the other side, leaving a bloody crater in her skull.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, Ruby collapsed, letting go of Ben and falling onto him. Ben pushed her body off of him and dragged himself away from her, getting up on his hands and knees and preparing to flee.

"Benjamin Lee, stay where you are!" the warden bellowed again, bringing out another javelin.

Ben froze, not daring to move after seeing what had happened to Ruby.

After the javelin had entered her head, Ruby's vision had flickered out for a brief second, her aura and soul losing its hold on her body as her brain's neural pattern was disrupted, the displaced aura forcing her body to reroute the connections in her brain to restore her consciousness.

"Ow," Ruby said, beginning to stand up again, the hole in her head slowly beginning to heal over.

The startled warden reflexively threw his spear again. Ruby twitched and the spear missed her head and hit her shoulder, going halfway through and then getting stuck.

"Will you stop that?" Ruby said, annoyed. She pulled the spear out and flung it onto the ground. "It sort of hurts," she complained, glaring at him.

The warden recovered and pulled out two sets of handcuffs, motioning for the other wardens to step forward.

"Handcuff Benjamin and escort him to solitary confinement. He initiated this fight and I want to know why."

Throwing a pair of handcuffs to Ruby, he nodded at her. "Please put these handcuffs on. You are not in any trouble, but to ensure the administrator's safety when we bring you to the administration office we need you to be restrained."

Ruby thought for a second and put them on, deciding that she believed them.

"All right, let's go," she said.

* * *

Ruby kicked her legs against the chair as she sat in the administration office's reception room, the woman behind the desk ignoring her. Four wardens surrounded Ruby, watching her closely and making sure she made no sudden movements. Ruby was still basically nude, the scraps of clothing still wrapped around her legs the only things covering her.

She ran her tongue lightly across her teeth, small cuts forming despite slight pressure being applied. The shape of her teeth hadn't changed much, but the edges of each tooth were like razors. Ruby grinned to herself in pleasure, making the wardens who had been watching her look away briefly, creeped out by the gleaming white teeth that looked a little too sharp.

The sound of dress shoes came from the hallway. The administrator stepped out, taking a second to glance at Ruby's appearance.

"Wardens, you can take her handcuffs off. Ruby, let's go talk in my office." The wardens began to protest, but the administrator silenced them with a look. "I've already read the reports from one of the wardens; I know what she's done. Do not question me again."

The wardens fell silent, acquiescing and unlocking Ruby's handcuffs. The pieces of metal fell away with a  _clink_ , and Ruby got up, following the administrator to his office.

Closing the door behind her, he motioned to the chair in front of his desk, wanting her to sit down.

"Do you need a change of clothing before we start talking?" he asked, noticing her bare chest.

"I'm fine," Ruby said, staring at him and enjoying his good looks.

The close proximity of the administrator reminded her of his handsome appearance, making her feel more than a little bothered.

The administrator looked amused, clearly realizing what was going on.

Sitting down at his desk, he began talking. "First things first, Ruby. Are the metal pieces in your arms and legs working?"

Ruby nodded. "You know, I wouldn't mind if you just bent me over the desk and..." She bit her lip, giving a little sound of pleasure.

"Control yourself, Ruby," the administrator said, smiling. "I'll let you off this time, seeing that your bloodbath, pardon the pun, has made you a little too excited."

"Besides," he added, "there's also the pesky little thing called the 'no-interference policy'."

Ruby sighed a little, looking disappointed. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I wanted to ask you if those people had some sort of feud with you," the administrator explained. "It makes no sense for them to have attacked you without provocation."

"Well, I guess I killed Ben's friend. His name was, uh, Denton," she said, thinking. "I don't think I've ever seen the other four people."

"Hmm," the administrator puzzled.

"Oh," Ruby said, having thought of something, "they mentioned that if they killed me, they would have their sentences reduced by a year. And, I also saw someone talk to one of the wardens through his tablet and tell him to leave the area, right before they attacked me."

The administrator's face had frozen, his blue eyes staring into hers. "Are you sure about this, Ruby?"

A little taken back by his response, she nodded. "Completely sure."

"Thank you for this information, Ruby," he said. "It seems we have a rat in our system." He paused, holding out his hand. "I'm glad you survived, Ruby. Incidences like yours should not be occurring in our camp."

"No problem," Ruby said, shaking his hand. "It was my pleasure."

"No doubt about it, Ruby," he said, chuckling, "I"m sure it was."

* * *

**Note:**

**There wasn't any use for the oars in the camp, seeing as they were in a prairie. Thus, the engineers attached a few meat hooks and called it a day.**

**As always, read, review, and ask me anything about the story. The aura system is a little convoluted, and I don't really want to include a lengthy explanation here, but 1. if enough people ask me I'll post an explanation with the next chapter and 2. more details will be revealed as the story goes on.**

**EDIT: Some questions**

**Paraphrased: How come Ruby won't die?**

**She's not unkillable, just really hard to kill. Leave her with resources and some functional organs and a decent amount of brain matter and she'll come back, provided that she gets access to life quickly...**

**I mean if you cooked her all her proteins would denatured and nonfunctional, and if you cut off her head completely from her body she wouldn't be able to come back. Also burning.**

**Good question, and it will clear up some misconceptions. I'm trying not to make Ruby some overpowered, undying character, everything has a reason. All will be explained in time.**

**EDIT 2:**

**Oof, bending to pressure because I've gotten quite a few remarks of confusion and dislike on how she survived a javelin to the head.**

**Explanation as follows, copy pasted from my notes(might contain slight spoilers):**

**Most people can't really use aura, people who can actually manifest aura are outstanding, ex: beacon peoples, ruby peoples, healing peoples, and then the rare people able to control aura so well they can make glyphs and use them.**

**Souls are basically faint images of consciousness, personality, etc, doesn't matter if good or bad, anyone with human brain capacity or higher can form a soul because they can form more detailed consciousness's**

**When aura is boosted, soul becomes more strong, more real, and so with sufficient power the consciousness and soul integrate, the soul becoming turbo-charged and working with the conciouness, sort of like a constantly updating backup copy**

**When ruby's brain matter is lost or suffers brain death, aura/soul can reawaken body(unique to her due to her semblance) and then restore or reroute the brain if enough functional matter left based on the pattern stored in the soul**

****EDIT: Wait a damn minute, none of you guys questioned when she came back to life, after losing copious amounts of blood and having her organs torn apart, then autopsied? Didn't that give you guys a big hint? wat** **


	18. Death Stalkers

"And then, earlier this morning, the wardens took me off the boarbatusk team. Something about the other people on the team being nervous around me." Ruby took another bite of her apple.

Maximilian and Lily looked worried. "So now you're on the death stalker team?" Lily asked.

"Yup," Ruby said, her mouth full of food.

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon as Ruby ate her breakfast. It was the day of the hunt, and the hunters had been woken up early, the wardens telling them to eat breakfast quickly and convene at the armory. The couple had joined Ruby during her meal, hoping to talk to her before she left for the hunt.

"I know you're pretty strong and all," Maximilian said, "but I don't think that even you can recover from being crushed into paste."

Ruby shrugged. "I feel pretty good right now, I don't think the death stalker will be able to catch me."

Lily shook her head. "We aren't worried about your fighting abilities, Ruby, we're worried about the attack the other day. What if someone, I don't know, chops off your leg when you're not looking? Stabs you in the back? And then you fall down and the death stalker's legs come down and  _splat_ , there goes Ruby."

"I'll be fine, guys, don't worry so much," Ruby said, finishing the last few crumbs of her bread. "I'll be really, really careful, ok?"

Lily puffed out a breath of air. "I still don't feel too good about this."

"I wish we could go with you," said Maximilian.

"Geez guys, stop it, you're starting to sound like my pare-"

Ruby stopped, her throat closing up. "L-like, uhm, really worried people," she finished lamely.

A strange expression was on Lily's face as she leaned over and gave her a hug, tousling her hair. Maximilian joined in, giving Ruby a odd sense of comfort as she hugged them back, enjoying their company while she could.

"So, we can't come with you, but we can give you a few tips," Maximilian said.

"That would be great," Ruby said, smiling.

* * *

After the twenty minutes allotted for breakfast, the wardens had called the prisoners to the armory, handing off boarbatusk paddles to the boarbatusk team and then allowing the death stalker team to equip themselves. The people who came to camp with their own weapons were allowed to use them, with the stipulation that the weapons were to be returned upon finishing the mission. The wardens made sure the prisoners understood that if they caused trouble with their weapons, they'd be sent out unarmed for the next hunt.

Ruby was positively jittering with excitement, looking forwards to the one hour the wardens had given the prisoners so that they could practice with their weapons in the training grounds. Standing in line, she waited for her weapon, eager to see it again.

A few minutes later, she finally got it back, along with three clips of standard rifle Dust ammo. Ruby pulled open the clips, taking out the cartridges and slotting them into her own weapon's ammo clip. She asked for and received a ragged ammo belt she repurposed as a bandolier, inserting her extra rounds into it and slinging it over her shoulder.

The weapon looked just like it had been the last time she had seen it, the metal surface covered with a thin layer of dust but otherwise unharmed. Ruby stroked it, murmuring to it and cleaning off the flakes of blood stuck to the outside. She held it up and unfolded the scythe, receiving admiring glances from the nearby prisoners. Ruby cleaned the blood off of the scythe's blade, polishing it until it gleamed.

Standing up, she headed to the training grounds.

Upon arriving, she went to the section with the target stands, allowing herself to fire half of her clip, fifteen shots, to make sure the weapon was functional. Fifteen bullet holes appeared in the center of fifteen targets, Ruby feeling as though her weapon had never left her side.

Releasing her clip and reloading the bullets she had used, she heard clapping from behind her. Maximilian and Lily stood there, smiling and applauding after seeing her performance. Ruby bounced over to them, glad that they were there.

"Don't you guys have lessons or anything?" Ruby asked.

"Nah," Lily said, "they gave up on our cabin of people after our crazy roommates went berserk during a lesson and repeatedly ran into the shields. I think they broke a couple of bones, so the wardens just stopped sending us altogether, telling us that we were too disruptive."

"So we just mostly talk to people and play cards when we're not at the training grounds," Maximilian said. "I know you're going to be leaving soon, so don't let us distract you."

Ruby thought for a moment. "Want to practice? I'll try not to use the blade of my scythe," she teased.

"Definitely," Maximilian said, grinning. "Let's see what you've got."

* * *

After another round of warnings and farewells, Ruby left the two and gone to the main gate, where half a thousand prisoners were gathered, preparing to leave for the death stalker nest. A hundred or so wardens accompanied them, ready to punish any prisoner that tried to stay away from the fighting.

They ran for five miles, most of the prisoners able to keep the pace and the lagging ones constantly being shoved onward by the wardens. The landscape around them was dry and dusty, the loose soil barely able to support small shrubs. Ruby thought she saw a few small animals, heads popping back into their burrows.

After an hour they had reached the cave, the sun still low in the sky, the day still early. The cave had one central opening, leading into a rocky hill. Smaller openings peppered the other sides of the hill, each barely large enough for a man to fit through.

"The burrow is mostly underground, separated into tunnels and caverns," the warden said. He opened up the sack he had in his hand and pulled out a white object, glinting in the sunlight. "Put these markers down to map out where you go. This will prevent you from getting lost."

The wardens moved through the crowd of people, handing out bags at random. Ruby didn't want to bother with it, so she handed her bag off to someone else.

"There are no more instructions. Your job is to clear out the caves. Go!"

The prisoners cautiously stepped into the cave opening, holding out the glowing white markers in front of themselves like flashlights. The wardens followed them, making sure that no one tried to run away.

The first few caves were empty, but the smaller caves were filled with moderately large Death stalkers, each about six feet long with claws the size of an arm. The combined strength of the prisoners cleared them out quickly, ganging up on the lone death stalkers and using their numerical advantage. There were a few entrances in the ground, some prisoners slipping down into them and needing help to crawl out. A few prisoners almost fell down deep abysses, teetering on the edges as their handheld lights barely warned them in time so they could stop themselves. The auxiliary caves were cleared, and the prisoners were making good time, having explored a large portion of the nest already.

The first signs of trouble were the rumbling noises, the walls and floors shaking a bit as a large mass crawled up the side of one of the abysses. Some of the prisoners looked nervous, but the wardens egged them on, poking them with spears or javelins when they backed up a little too far.

A extraordinarily large death stalker, awoken by the sounds of fighting above it, appeared over the edge, it's huge claws gripping the floor and pulling itself up. Its stinger glowed orange, the light illuminating its surroundings. About sixty feet long and carrying thousands of miniature death stalkers, it was incredibly intimidating, the contrast of its white armor with red stripes and its gleaming black carapace giving it a frightful appearance. Some of the prisoners whimpered, and even a few of the wardens looked awestruck.

The writhing mass of baby death stalkers on its back swept down, swamping the prisoners, even as the mother death stalker scuttled forwards, each step shaking the floor of the cave.

Ruby swung her scythe in arcs around her, cleaving the squirming carpet of baby Grimm, twitching limbs and bodies flying everywhere. Running up the side of the cave, she landed on a small outcropping, flipping her scythe to shotgun mode and aiming at the eyes of the giant Grimm.

She concentrated her shots onto one eye, each shot adding a little crack and enraging the Grimm. The other prisoners followed her lead, raising their own projectile weapons and aiming for the relatively soft eyes of the death stalker. The hail of Dust bullets, arrows, and stones smashed against its eyes, rupturing a few and making it throw up its claws defensively.

The baby Grimm had mostly been cleared away now, a few prisoners stomping here and there to end the struggling of a one or two that had been overlooked. Seeing that the large Grimm had stopped attacking, the prisoners moved forward as one, yelling and shouting and jumping onto the death stalker. A few were thrown off by its claws and tail, but the mass of living flesh was too great, weighing the death stalker down and making its joints buckle.

Its carapace couldn't withstand the attack much longer, some attackers managing to find unprotected spaces in its armor and slamming their weapons into them, cutting into the soft areas. Ruby only stood near them, heeding Maximilian and Lily's warnings and being content to let the other prisoners do the work. The death stalker began to panic, skittering in a frenzy and moving back towards the abyss. The prisoners began to shout, many of them abandoning their weapons and jumping back down. Ruby stepped forward, wondering if she could kill it before it got away.

A few of the braver prisoners followed it to the edge of the abyss, peering down and watching it scuttle off. Ruby joined them, wondering what the wardens would say about this.

Suddenly, Ruby felt many pairs of hands pushing her, shoving her forward. Caught by surprise, Ruby lost her footing and fell downwards, the blackness rising up to surround her. Twisting in mid air, she looked back up, seeing a couple of prisoners staring slack-jawed at her. She quickly lost sight of them, gathering speed as she continued to fall.

Ruby braced her shotgun against herself, firing rapidly downwards as she tried to slow herself down. She ran out of ammo quickly, having fired most of her rounds at the Grimm. The only thing she could do was flip herself feet down, trying to take the damage in her lower body. She spread out her shirt, trying to gain more air resistance.

Five seconds later, she hit the ground at ninety miles per hour.

Her feet hit first, the bones in her foot shattering at they slammed into the stone floor. The shin bones slammed into her feet, further pulverizing them. Her upper leg bones collided with her lower leg bones at the knees, both legs shattering and splintering, the fragments jutting out of her skin. The impact traveled up her leg, slamming her hip bone into her pelvis and cracking it open. Her hips continued forwards, moving upwards and ripping through her intestines, where they finally stopped. He head continued forward, her momentum bending her upper body downwards and bending her in half, her spine snapping at the waist, her forehead nearly touching her feet. Ruby's entire body crumpled inwards, collapsing to the ground, her lower half destroyed. Head slamming into the ground, Ruby felt no pain, having already gone unconscious after the concussive force had traveled up her legs and slammed her brain into the top of her skull.

Meanwhile, her scythe had hit the ground at thirty miles per hour, bouncing a few times and suffering no visible damage.

Her body lay there, trying to pull itself together.

* * *

Ruby blinked and moaned, her head feeling a little dizzy as she healed from the concussion. Experimentally trying to move her lower body, she found that her legs twitched a little. Her skin had already healed up, the bone fragments sinking back through her pants and into her skin, but muscles underneath writhed and coiled as they reattached, the bones moving back to their proper locations and reconnecting to the tendons and muscles. Her hip bones had already slid back out of her intestines, her pelvis beginning to realign and mend.

Rumbling noises, along with a clacking in front of her, alerted Ruby to the presence of a death stalker. A yellow light appeared in front of her, the weakened glow from its stinger barely outlining the shape of the injured creature. The death stalker was bleeding from multiple wounds across its body, gashes ripped open along the edges of its bone-white armor. It had only two eyes left, the two red orbs swiveling as it searched for her.

Ruby stayed quiet, trying to force herself to heal faster. However, she was given away by the sound of her hip joint popping back into place, the  _pop_  sound reverberating against the wall behind her. The scuttling noises increased in frequency as the death stalker turned in circles, driven into frenzy by the knowledge that something was there. As her other hip bone popped back into place, Ruby crawled forward and grabbed her scythe, using it to prop herself up, feeling the bones shift in her legs. She felt her leg bones begin cracking again, having put too much pressure on them before they were able to heal completely.

A claw suddenly sideswiped her, knocking Ruby off of her feet. Ruby went flying through the air, landing and bruising a few ribs. The next time the claw came at her, Ruby rolled to the side and swung her scythe, hooking her blade into a soft joint in its claw and following it back to the death stalker.

The moment the death stalker came into view, Ruby jumped, pushing off the claw with her scythe and leaping at its head area. Startled, the death stalker moved backwards a bit, waving its claws aimlessly. Flipping the scythe in her grip, she shifted the blade of the short end of her scythe outwards a bit, then swung it down, embedding it in one of the previously existing gashes on its head. Red liquid squirted anew from the freshly opened wound, a bit splattering onto Ruby as she ripped the blade out, enlarging and deepening the bloody hole. The bits of blood that hit her immediately sunk into her skin, the metal in her arms and legs beginning to glow again.

Ruby felt exhilarated, the blood giving her some sort of high. Raising her arm again and again, she gouged deeper and deeper, her arms becoming a blur as each downward blow shattered the edges of the armor around the injury, fragments of the white plate flying upwards and around her.

After dodging countless blows as the death stalker tried to throw her off, Ruby had carved a hole larger than she could fit through. A bit of yellow-white color appeared at the bottom of the hole as the death walker heaved and its flesh shifted. Taking aim, she slammed her scythe into the pale blob of flesh, her weapon nearly flying out of her grip due to the blood smeared around the handle. The death stalker jerked, twitching more than usual, one of its claws going limp. Clearly having hit something important, Ruby slammed her scythe into it again.

The death stalker's legs collapsed under it, its body hitting the floor with a resounding  _boom_. Ruby got up, feeling invigorated and alive, her fingers and feet shifting and twitching as she wondered what she was going to do. Looking up, she searched for any sign of light, hoping that some prisoners had left markers at the cliff edge.

She saw nothing, the gloom swallowing up all the light from above.

Going back to the death stalker corpse, lit with a fading yellow light, she sliced off its stinger, setting it on the ground. Aiming carefully and cutting a few trenches into the tough skin surrounding the light source, the stinger was greatly reduced in size and glowed a bit more brightly, like a demented jack-o-lantern. Ripping off the bottom half of her shirt, she created a sling, wrapping it around her shoulder and carrying the chunk of flesh against her body.

With the pale yellow light brightening her way, she slammed her scythe into the cliff wall, beginning her climb. Each time she embedded her scythe into the cliff face, she grabbed the resulting gouge and pulled herself, repeating the process until it became quick and efficient, making her way up in practiced swings.

The death stalker blood spurring her on, Ruby continued to climb, wondering how long she had been down there for.

* * *

She woke up not knowing where she was, when she was, what she was,  _why_  she was.

The face she saw was impossibly beautiful and perfect, like an angel come down from the heavens.

The hair was white as snow, soft and cold and pure.

 _Are you awake?_  she hears, the voice sounding like the one she had heard in her dreams, the dreams she could not remember, the voice that called her out of the darkness.

"You're beautiful," she whispered, reaching up with her fingers to touch the pale skin.

A faint blush stole over her angel's face.

 _I'm glad you're awake,_  the angel said.  _Do you know who you are?_

"No..." she whispered, a faint tugging at her heartstrings.

_Don't worry, I'll help you, I'll guide you._

"Good," she said, feeling the worries fall away, feeling happy. "I want to be with you forever... my love."

* * *

**Note:**

**Happy Halloween! (Which is tomorrow, at least for me)**

**As always, I enjoy constructive criticism and it would be great if you could read and review and point out anywhere or anything that needs fixing. I will adjust my stories accordingly, I am inexperienced at this and I would love to improve!**

**Also, if anyone is frustrated with the story's pace, remember that the current word length of all the chapters combined is only about 1/3rd through a normal-length novel, not to mention that I already have 3 parts for this series planned out.**


	19. Intermission: A message from the author

**Sorry, I got home pretty late today (not even going to go trick-or-treat) so the next chapter will be up a little later than usual. However, some food for thought:**

**I'd like to point out that the last scene in the previous chapter was NOT from Ruby's perspective. Sorry for the confusion, this website does not have many formatting options. With this new information, you guys should probably go back and reread it again :)**

**Also, new RWBY episode! Yayyy! Watch as it forces me to go back and fix some ginormous misassumptions I made! (Even though this is basically an AU already)**


	20. Proposal

**Quick note: I'd like to point out again that the last scene in the previous chapter was NOT from Ruby's perspective. Sorry for the confusion, this website does not have many formatting options. With this new information, you guys should probably go back and reread it again :)**

* * *

Blake slid into the small booth, jazz music playing softly in the background. Yang sat down beside her, grabbing hold of Blake's hand and giving themselves a front of solidarity. The young man across them raised an eyebrow but said nothing, wearing a gray sweatshirt with the hood pulled up.

"You smell like dog," Blake said.

"And you smell like a wet cat," the man grinned.

Blake flicked her ears, the bow on top of them letting loose a spray of water droplets.

She held out her hand. "This is Yang, and I'm Blake. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," he said, shaking both of their hands. "Let's get down to business. You called up our faction, because...?"

"I heard something that could be useful," Blake said. "Very, very useful. I'd like to explain my reasoning, first, however, before I tell you anything."

"Understandable," the man said.

"I'm, well, sort of  _involved_  with Yang-"

Yang elbowed her. "Blakey's my girlfriend," she said happily, kissing her on the cheek.

Blake blushed. "Um, back to the point."

She took a shaky breath, exhaling slowly.

"Yang and I used to hide our relationship," she explained. "But now we're quite open about it, and nearly everyone at Beacon knows about it. But we worry all the time, about after Beacon, about how the world will react to us. I've seen other human-faunus pairs, and I see that most of them go into hiding, unable to live in cities because of human hate groups that rise up and try to lynch them. Sometimes, it feels as though we have no future, as if we're doomed to become like them, living in some obscure countryside where we have to create new identities and new names, or perhaps we have to become traveling Huntresses, going from place to place and never settling down. We've asked ourselves questions, things like 'what if we wanted to adopt kids'? 'What if we wanted a family of our own'? Maybe a little faunus or a small human, along with a place to call home. And right now, we can't really see that happening."

Blake fell silent. The man nodded, agreeing with her and encouraging her to continue.

"Recently, while eavesdropping on an conversation between government officials, we heard about an outpost being started at the Dragon Wings," she said. "I have two proposals for you. The first one is about the new outpost."

When he didn't react, she rushed on, trying to get her ideas out before he could speak again. "This might be a far-fetched plan, but what if we took over the outpost? When they ask for volunteers to begin settling there, what if we send faunus? I have a few fellow students that will be working closely with an official who will be in charge of settling the outpost, and they've agreed to help me in this endeavor. You can send them the names of faunus who have human identities, and they can try to change the records and get those people to be sent to the outpost, while leaving the humans out. We can build up our own city, using the huge amount of government resources provided to the new outposts, and we can finally establish something for ourselves, somewhere where faunus and then eventually maybe even humans can live in peace and safety."

The man was leaning towards her, his eyes intent on her face.

"Once we have the settlement up, it will be too late for the human government to retaliate. It will be difficult, even for them, to justify an attack on a peaceful, civilian town. We can foster relationships from the town, get ourselves well known, and continue from there."

The booth was silent for a few moments.

"That... that sounds amazing. Fantastic. Superb. But you do realize it's not as simple as that, right? I have to get the approval of the other members of our faction, I'll need to run background checks on your fellow students and make sure that they are reliable, heck, I'll even have to check you guys out to make sure this isn't some sort of trick."

He backed up a bit, thinking. "What was your other proposal?"

"I think I can help your cause," Blake said. "As Beacon students and future huntresses, we have connections and we will be influential."

"And," Yang said, glancing at Blake, "we can be the faces of your cause. As huntresses, we can represent how faunus and humans can live together, work together, in peace, and in... love."

Pulling out his tablet, the man swiped his fingers across the screen and began tapping rapidly. A few seconds later, he looked up.

"Usually, I would have ended this meeting, told you guys we were going to consider it, and then dismissed you two as crazy loons. However, Blake Belladonna, your past in the White Fang means that I must consider your ideas."

"That's in the past," Blake replied. "I'm going to help for a change, instead of just destroying and inspiring fear."

He nodded and turned to Yang.

"And you, Yang Xiao Long, adoptive sister of the infamous Ruby Rose, your fighting skills are strong and your bond with Blake stronger. You two make a formidable team, as Huntresses and representatives."

The man shook his sleeve, pulling out a small chip.

"Plug this into any modern tablet or communication device to contact us with any additional details or updates. It's pretty simple, put it in and you'll see a communication application pop up. It can only send messages to us, leaves no traces, and cannot be traced to our faction, so don't even think about handing it over to anyone else. We will be asking for video and audio confirmation of your identities before we send anything to you."

Blake's eyes were open wide as she took the chip and slipped it into her pocket. Yang was smiling, seeing their budding dream take its first step.

The man stood up.

"Well, this meeting was certainly productive. I realize the time-sensitivity of this information, so expect a decision by the end of this week. I'll stay in contact with you, Blake. Let's see if we can make this work."

Slipping the hood further over his head, he walked away, hands in his pockets and whistling a bit.

Seeing that he had left, Blake turned and hugged Yang tightly.

"We did it," she whispered, tears of joy forming in her eyes. "I can't believe we actually did it."

"We sure did," Yang said, happy for Blake.

"With this, we'll change the world."

* * *

Ruby hooked her scythe over the edge, finally arriving back up at the top. Her arms and legs were trembling a little, the death stalker blood having worn off halfway up the abyss. Her little flesh lantern was nearly faded, only glowing with a smidgen of white now.

Waving her arms in front of her, Ruby slowly made her way out of the cave systems, following the glowing white trails of markers. They had been left there for future explorations, so Ruby made use of them, throwing her light source away after it had faded.

An hour later, Ruby walked out of the caves, breathing in a fresh breath of air. The red trails of sunset spread across the sky, the faint image of the moon poking out a bit above the horizon. She didn't know how long she had been down there for, but based on her hunger level it was probably already dinner time, half the day having passed as she had recovered from her fall. She began to sprint, hoping to make it back in time for dinner.

Half an hour later, Ruby arrived at the main gates, the iron fences opening for her. As she walked in, the guard nodded at her, clearly having seen many prisoners who had been left for dead arriving by themselves.

The camp was nearly deserted, with most people eating dinner in the dining area. Ruby walked onward, people stopping what they were doing and staring at her as she walked by, her distinctive red-black hair and the metal showing through the tears in her pants and shirt easily recognizable.

Conversation hushed and started up again, even louder, as Ruby walked through the meal area, searching for Lily and Maximilian. Grabbing some food along the way, Ruby reached their meeting spot, a plate of meat in her hands.

"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated," Ruby quipped, smiling.

Lily gasped and looked up, Maximilian turning and staring.

"Ruby!" she cried, jumping up and hugging her, Maximilian joining in. "I thought you were dead!" she cried, clutching her tightly.

Ruby looked at them, seeing their bloodshot eyes and feeling tears of her own springing up. She returned their hug soundlessly, swamped by their emotions.

"I heard that someone tried to kill you," Maximilian said gruffly, anger tinging his voice.

"Is this true?" Lily asked, worried.

Ruby nodded reluctantly. "Well, I got pushed off a cliff, so I guess so. I mean, a few people could have accidentally bumped into me."

Maximilian shook his head. "It definitely wasn't accidental. I heard people bragging about killing you, saying something about reduced sentences."

Lily cursed. "We can't allow this to continue, we need to talk to the wardens or the administrator."

"You know that's not possible," Maximilian said sadly. "They won't do anything without proof, especially since Ruby has returned alive."

"Then I'll kill them myself," Lily said, an expression of rage contorting her face.

"Calm down, Lily," Maximilian said. "She's safe now, we'll deal with anything that comes up in the future. Killing people will only get yourself in trouble. Maybe they'll stop trying, seeing as how Ruby's survived everything they've thrown at her."

"I talked to the administrator after the last time," Ruby said, trying to placate Lily. "He knows something is up, and I'm sure he'll try even harder after hearing about this incident."

Lily subsided, her expression slowly transforming into one of sadness. "Ruby, do you know why we're so protective of you?"

Ruby shook her head, having often wondered why they accepted her even after she told them she had eaten Denton.

"There's something we haven't told you," Max said. "We had a daughter on the ship, too. She was a bit younger than you, and had Lily's red hair and pale skin. We tried to take her with us during our escape attempt after they found out about our dust crystals. She was in our room, hiding, and we had just gotten there when they cornered us. She died in the crossfire."

"My injuries destroyed any chance for me to have another child again," Lily continued sadly. "So when we saw you, a young girl entering the training grounds, we thought we were hallucinating our daughter again."

"Even after we realized who you were, we couldn't help but try to get to know you, to understand you, to protect you. You are like a daughter to us, Ruby, and we love you so much."

Ruby's throat closed up, her vision blurring as she tried to stop herself from sobbing. "Am I really family to you?" she choked out, crying a little.

"Of course," they whispered, making Ruby's heart swell.

They stood like that for a long time, ignoring the stares of other prisoners, holding each other up.

* * *

**Note:**

**Alright, so this chapter was a bit short. Partially due to time limits, but mostly because the next chapter demands that this chapter ends here. You'll see.**

**Read, review, etc, PM me questions, and so forth. Happy Halloween! (actually its almost over now _ )**


	21. Remembrance

The days passed, turning into weeks and months as Ruby finally began to feel as though she belonged somewhere. Lily and Max were there every day, talking to her and training with her, giving her a sense of happiness that she hadn't had for years. They fought and laughed and encouraged each other, making Ruby's stay at the camp much more enjoyable. Any thought of escape was now accompanied by considerations as to whether Lily and Max could also escape with her. But for the most part, Ruby was content to serve her sentence at the camp, willing to stay as long as Lily and Max were there.

They trained themselves hard, Ruby growing stronger and leaner, all of them surviving their missions. There were a few close calls, such as when Lily was nearly disemboweled during an attack on a nevermore nest, but she recovered. Ruby let out little snippets of her past, about herself being adopted and her stay at Beacon, but she never said much more than a few cryptic statements. Lily and Max accepted that, and they never tried to probe deeper. Her urges were greatly reduced, but every one in a while, when they got too unbearable, she spent the night with Julie, forcing Julie to pleasure her. No one harassed Ruby, the rumors of her exploits and her hair and metal accessories easily recognizable. Even John and Bruiser continued to ignore her, sneaking in late at night after Ruby had already gone to sleep, making sure to avoid irritating Ruby. The attempts on her life seemed to have stopped, her attackers seemingly giving up after two failed attempts and seeing her resilience.

Thus, Ruby was greatly surprised upon sluggishly waking up, feeling herself being jostled around.  _I've been drugged_ , was her first thought. She could feel her heartbeat slowing down, her lungs nearly unable to function, her vision beginning to fuzz a little on the edges.  _And I'm in a body bag_ , was her second thought. She tried moving her limbs, but all she could get was a little twitch in her fingers.

A feeling of weightlessness suddenly came over her as Ruby felt herself being dropped onto the ground.

A blunt weapon slammed into her head, followed by other blows landing on her torso, the weapons feeling like the wooden practice swords from the training grounds. They slammed into her face, breaking her skull and jaw. She felt a growing pressure as someone planted a sword into her stomach and stomped on it, the sword going through her and anchoring her into the ground. Another sword went through her eye, Ruby feeling her skull shatter as it came out of the back of her head. Her consciousness flickered, the repeated head trauma forcing her brain to rewire and compensate for the damaged areas. Ruby could do nothing but take the blows, the number of swords impaled through her head and torso increasing, the body bag filling with the smell of her blood and stomach contents.

The blows stopped for a moment, the sounds of multiple people panting audible through the buzzing of her damaged eardrums.

"I've got a better idea," she heard someone growl.

She heard the sound of a sword snapping, and then the sword was stabbed through the bag and sliced into her neck. The splinters of wood tore through her skin, exposing her trachea as she felt her attacker begin to saw with the jagged edge, the wooden sword slowly moving deeper.

 _Welp, I guess this is it,_ Ruby thought.  _I wish I had told Lily and Max more about myself. I hope they'll forget about me quickly and save themselves the lingering pain. I hope they won't suffer as I did._

Sounds of shouting came from far away, Ruby unable to make out the words. The sword at her neck began sawing in a frenzy, her assailant trying to kill her before help could arrive. The sawing paused for a second, and then she felt someone jumping on the sword in her neck, desperate to finish the job. Her mind stopped flickering and began to fade, the blood loss growing much too severe, her trachea splitting in two and her neck muscles separating, her head about to separate from her body...

And then the jumping stopped, the bag opening up, Ruby feeling the morning sun on her face. Her eyesight was destroyed, but she heard gasps of shock at the objects embedded in her face and body. She tried to give some signal that she was still alive, but her body was broken, her spine fractured in multiple places and her brain damage making her unable to talk or breathe properly. All Ruby could smell was blood, a sword having been pushed through the middle of her face.

She heard a someone begin to speak, his voice holding a warden's tone and authority.

"We were too late," he said. "All I see is a mangled lump of flesh. Look, her head's barely even attached. Does she look alive to you?"

"Naw," another voice said. "Alright, we need to take the body back to the medical facilities and have the doctor officially register her death. Grab it and let's go."

There was a pause.

"I don't really want to touch her."

"Suck it up, I already picked up the pieces of the prisoner from the suicide the other day."

Ruby heard a groan. The bagged was zipped back up and carried on the warden's shoulder, the fluids inside sloshing around and dripping out.

"The bag's leaking all over my uniform."

"Stop complaining, we're almost there."

A few minutes later, they arrived at the medical facilities, dumping her body in a cold room and leaving. Her veins constricted from the cool environment, the flow of blood slowing and stopping. Ruby, unable to feel anything and growing extremely bored, fell asleep, her body beginning to heal.

* * *

The sound of footsteps woke Ruby up, her hearing nearly fully restored. There were still chunks of wood stuck in her head and body, but she could now move a bit of her face and shift her arm a bit. The blood on her body had coagulated and scabbed over, covering her major wounds.

The bag opened up, the overhead lights shining onto her face. The doctor peered over her, tired eyes in his face and coarse black hair, the same man who had put the metal into Ruby's arms. Ruby, glad that someone had finally come, tried to give him a smile, but only half of her face lifted up, her brain still hindered by the wood in it.

The doctor flinched back and cursed, Ruby's bloodstained and twitching face giving him a fright.

"She's still alive," he shouted, grabbing a pair of shears from beside him and beginning to cut through her body bag.

After clearing away the shreds of bloodstained fabric, he pulled the chunks of wood out of her head. Taking out a needle and a spool of thread, he began to sew the worst of her wounds closed.

"How the hell are you still alive?" he muttered, threading the needle in and out of her flesh.

Ruby tried to shrug, ripping a few stitches.

"Stop that," he scolded.

Her neck having healed a bit now, she craned her head down to look at her body, sighing on the inside as she realized that another set of scars had been added onto her body. The older ones were beginning to fade, thankfully, but her body was still covered in scar tissue.

She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, letting the doctor stitch her back up. Just after she began dozing off, however, she was rudely awakened by the administrator.

"Again?" he asked, standing over her.

She nodded, unable to speak, her larynx not fully healed.

He sighed. "I thought I had taken care of our leak," he apologized. "Well, I'll make sure to give you some time off so you can heal back up again."

Sounds of arguing came from outside of the room.

"Let them in, they're her friends," the administrator said.

Lily and Max stepped into the room, fury in their eyes.

"What the fuck is this?" Lily shouted. "Ruby said you would solve her problem, and this happens again?"'

"She's still alive," he said mildly. "Ruby's a monster, she can take care of herself."

"Look at her neck!" she screamed. "Does that look fine to you? Those fuckers nearly chopped her head off!" _  
_

"I'll make sure to have wardens monitor the cameras around her residence, and I won't send Ruby out on a mission until we find the person responsible. Our wardens are already out searching for the people that participated in this incident, and we're going over our video feeds to look for anyone carrying body bags within the past day."

Lily wasn't done. "She's not even safe in her own residence! You incompetent little-"

Max grabbed her and clamped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry, she gets a little emotional sometimes," he apologized.

"I understand that you are attached to Ruby, but never speak to me like that again," the administrator said, eyes flashing. His face softened a bit. "I'd like to remind you that killing fellow prisoners is an offense, and that I take my camp very seriously. I don't know how the prisoners keep receiving incentives to kill Ruby, but I will do my best to ensure it does not happen again."

"That's all we can ask for, administrator," Max said, holding a struggling Lily in his hands.

He nodded to them and turned to walk out, but stopped, remembering something.

"One more thing." He looked at Ruby. "Do you know the reason why you were sent here in the first place?"

Ruby shook her head.

"You were sent here to train as a Rogue Huntress, then to be sent to the Dragon Wings and help clear out an outpost in the wilderness."

Ruby's eyes widened, her mouth opening a little.

"But with all the things that happened in the past few months, such as you eating Denton, brutally killing your attackers at the training session, and your survival from being pushed down a death stalker nest, the higher ups rescinded that decision and instead changed your sentence to an indefinite stay at Rogue Camp."

The room was silent. Lily was staring at the administrator.

"Ruby, the goal of my camp is to rehabilitate dangerous criminals and maybe eventually send them back out into the world to do good and redeem themselves. I was personally against this decision, but they overrode me, and now I don't know when you can leave."

He shook his head. "I'm truly sorry, Ruby."

The administrator left the room, leaving the two stunned and silent.

Lily walked over to Ruby and sat down on the ground next to her, leaning down and giving her a hug. The doctor, who had been ignoring them throughout the conversation, frowned at her, Lily getting in the way of his stitching.

"Oh, Ruby..." she whispered.

"'S okay." Ruby wheezed, her throat still a bit leaky but now serviceable, after a few stitches had been put in. "As long as you guys are here with me, I don't really mind."

Max plopped down beside her, sighing. "You're still young, Ruby. You still need to experience the outside world, give yourself a chance at redemption, give yourself a chance at life."

Ruby managed a small smile. "You guys aren't old, either. If I have to get out and live, then you two have to come with me."

Lily smiled, stroking Ruby's black-red hair, and said nothing more.

* * *

After that, there were no more attacks. The administrator was either sticking to his promise and increasing his monitoring, or whoever wanted to kill Ruby had simply given up, deciding instead to just let her rot in the camp, Ruby trapped in there for the rest of her life.

Months continued to pass, Ruby trying to put the thought of her future out of her mind and instead concentrate and surviving and staying with Lily and Max.

Another couple of months later, Lily and Max met with her at dinner one day, conflicted expressions on their faces.

Ruby tensed up as Lily slid in next to her, preparing for some sort of bad news.

"The wardens spoke to us today," Lily said sadly, looking down at the table. "They said that our sentences were over and that we're going to be transported out tomorrow."

"We've been here for nearly five years," Max said. "We're pretty much model prisoners; we never cause any trouble and we're nearly always successful at our missions. I guess they finally decided that we could return to normal society."

Ruby's face was confused. "But that's great news! Why are you all so... oh." Her face fell, realizing what was going to happen. "W-what if it's a trick?" Ruby asked shakily, grasping at straws.

Lily shook her head. "You know how seriously the administrator takes these things, Ruby. He's not going to pretend to release us just so he can kill us."

"B-but what will I do without you?" Ruby cried, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Max grabbed Ruby's shoulder, staring her in the face. "Ruby, we asked them if we could reject the offer and stay here, with you." He took a breath. "They said that it wasn't allowed, that they would resort to force to drag us out of here. They said that we didn't belong here anymore, that we needed to go do some good in the world."

"Ruby..." Lily said, taking both of her hands.

Ruby threw herself into Lily's embrace, sobbing.

"Shhh," Lily murmured.

"Well, I guess this is my last chance," Ruby hiccuped, tears streaming down her face. "I'll tell you guys about my past now, if you want to listen."

Lily nodded as she stood up, Ruby still clutching her. "Let's go back to your residence. We can talk there."

As they walked back to her residence, Ruby began whispering, telling them everything, all the way from the beginning. When they arrived, Julie saw them and slipped out, knowing not to bother her.

By the time Ruby was done, she was cradled in Lily's arms, sitting on the bed with Max and Lily next to her, her heart freshly broken from reliving her past and realizing that her family was once again going to be destroyed.

"Now I know you've done some terrible things in your past," Lily said, "but you need to realize that everyone makes mistakes, big and small. As long as you try to change yourself and make up for your errors, anyone is redeemable."

"I think that you're a good person at heart, Ruby," Max stated. "I just think that you've experienced more than your fair share of tragedies and catastrophes. I think that even the most moral, upstanding person would have been changed for the worse if they had been in your position."

Ruby nodded, unwilling to trust her voice.

They continued talking late into the night, soothing Ruby and comforting her. Eventually Ruby fell asleep, nestled in Lily's arms.

* * *

Ruby woke up, staring at the bunk bed above her. She felt cold, Lily and Max having left after she fell asleep, forced to go to avoid the wardens discovering them and punishing them. Thoughts lingered in her mind, stirred up when Ruby bared her past to Lily and Max the previous night.

 _Family_ , was her first thought.  _I've lost so many people. Mother, Father, Yang, Weiss, Blake, Alys..._

 _Yang. She said something about my family... something about assassination._  Ruby concentrated for a bit, trying to think of what Yang had told her in the confinement chamber.  _Everest?_

Ruby sat up, clutching her bedsheets.

 _Jack Everest. He killed my family, Mother, Father, he had them assassinated._ Ruby had been deep in grief when Yang had told her this information, completely blocking it out of her mind. Now the suppressed memories rising to the surface, bringing up memories of that fateful night, where she lost nearly everything. Ruby pushed those memories back down again, focusing on what Yang had told her.

A few minutes later, had a plan and a goal.

Sliding out of bed and pulling on her uniform, she walked out into the cool morning, the sun still hidden under the horizon. Going to Lily and Max's residence, she waited for them outside. Half an hour later, they stepped outside, startled by the presence of Ruby.

"Hey," Ruby said sadly. "I guess this is the day, huh?"

"Yeah," Lily said. "How are you feeling?"

Ruby was silent for a moment.

"I'm going to escape." Ruby simply stated.

Lily exchanged a glance with Max.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Lily said slowly, "but what in the world are you talking about?"

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Max asked, a worried expression on his face.

"I have a plan. I got this," Ruby said, a smile forming on her face. "You guys have a future ahead of you now, don't worry about me. Didn't you two want to be Hunters?"

Max nodded. "They're giving us a monetary package and a place to stay, to ease our transition into society. We're going to take the Hunter test," he said.

"If we can't become Hunters, then we'll just settle down and live normal lives," Lily added. "You still haven't answered my question, though."

"I'm going to escape and take care of some things, and then I'm going to find you two again," Ruby repeated, a determined expression on her face.

"Do you want to talk about it? Or..."

Ruby shook her head. "Everything will be okay, Lily. Trust me."

"I don't doubt your abilities," Lily said, not delving any deeper, "but I'm still worried."

"Just don't do anything too dangerous, alright?" Max said.

"Of course," Ruby lied.

Lily blew out a breath. "Well, alright then. Let's go get some food; this might be our last breakfast together. I want to talk to you about how you're going to contact us once you escape."

Ruby nodded, tilting her head and looking at the sunrise. Today was going to be a big day.

* * *

**Note:**

**Sorry this is a little late. I managed to delete a crap ton of work, after somehow clicking outside of the text-editing box and pressing the backspace, making me go back a page and lose a lot of progress. I had to retype a lot of stuff, and I forget things easily... so...**

**Anyways, look! Plot development! Dun dun dunn**

**Read, review, and ask me anything. I'll clarify stuff for you, I might even answer questions about ages and abilities and auras and so forth, seeing as how that information is probably known to Ruby already, but doesn't really fit into the story.**


	22. Burn

Lily and Max left early in the morning, right after breakfast. They said their tearful farewells, hugged until the wardens started to yell at them, then left on one of the trucks.

They were gone, just like that. In one day, Ruby's life had changed once more, for better or for worse. Ruby pushed her bleak thoughts down and instead focused on today, on what she had to accomplish in order to successfully escape.

First, she had to get a material key. These keys allowed for the passage of trucks in and out of the barrier without incinerating, but didn't actually let living things through, the truck drivers having to carry separate life keys to get through the barrier. Some wardens carried the material keys with them, the small gleaming bands of red metal hooked onto their belts, but Ruby knew her chances of actually stealing one from the wardens was slim, and killing a warden would be too troublesome.

Instead, Ruby headed for the guard station, just inside the main gate. It was still technically within the bounds of the camp, so the wardens in the guard towers didn't even glance at her as she walked by them. Remembering the looks the guard had given her when she had first arrived at the camp, completely naked, she had deduced that this guard probably wasn't a trained warden. Thus, aside from stealing a key from one of the delivery trucks outside the main gate, he was the only person she could get a material key from.

The guard had a bored expression on his face, sprawled in his chair and staring at his tablet, clearly having nothing to do because the wardens took care of everything. Ruby sauntered up to him, smiling, and he looked up, a grin spreading across his face.

Ruby wasn't sure what to do, so she just leaned in close to him and whispered, "Hey, can you do something for me?"

The guard leered at her breasts. "If you're looking for favors, you'll need to do something for me first, if you know what I mean."

Ruby almost giggled at his clichéd response, but she decided that laughter would be inappropriate at this time and held it back. Scooting closer, she straddled him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest.

"Don't you guys have some sort of non-interference policy?" Ruby said coyly, pretending to caress him as she fumbled around with his belt, trying to find the key.

He grabbed Ruby's bottom, squeezing. "Nah, I'm not a warden, so I can do anything, really."

Ruby found his key and grinned, slipping it up her sleeve, then leaned forward, kissing his neck.

The guard suddenly froze, and Ruby almost panicked and ripped out his throat.

"Wait," he said nervously, "How old are you?"

"Uhhh, 15, but I'm almost 16," Ruby said, confused. "Ohhh, I'm a minor!" Ruby exclaimed, realizing why he was hesitating.

"No..." the guard said slowly, still not moving. "We've only got one prisoner as young as you, and that's Ruby Rose."

"Yup, that's me."

"Okay... I'm going to have to ask you to get off of me, before I start screaming for help."

Ruby made a disappointed face. "Alright, alright."

She got off of him, backing out of the guard station. The guard sagged in his seat, a sheen of sweat on his forehead.

 _That was weird_ , Ruby thought,  _but I guess it worked out in the end._

She walked back to her residence, her other cabin mates gone off to do who knows what, and sat down, shaking the key out of her sleeve. Hopefully, the guard wouldn't need it for awhile, seeing as how he just sat there all day anyway. Ruby jammed the key into the space between her mattress and the frame, then got up to proceed with the next step of her plan.

Having walked through the camp hundreds of times by now, she knew where all the guard towers were, and set about trying to find a blind spot. The camp itself wasn't heavily defended, just having a thin metal fence surrounding it, but the guard towers were plentiful and the landscape around the camp was flat and sparse, with almost no places to hide.

Ruby realized that she would have to escape on a mission. The landscape was far too barren; the wardens would see her the moment she started running for the barrier. Originally she had planned to find a way to break into the armory so she could get her scythe, but it turned out to be too heavily guarded, wardens patrolling the place 24/7. By escaping during a mission, Ruby would have her weapon and she would be able to sneak away.

Course of action decided, Ruby moved on to the next step.

During lunch, Ruby walked up to a young man with spiky brown hair and seemingly innocent eyes. He was a notorious gossiper, and Ruby planned to make full use of that.

"Hey," Ruby said, sitting down beside him.

He turned and stared at her, wide-eyed, shocked that she was talking to him.

Ruby tried to start a conversation. "So, don't you ever feel like, oh, I don't know, escaping from the camp?"

He didn't respond, still staring at her face.

Ruby tried again. "I'm, like, totally going to escape, you know? I'm going to find a way past the barriers, and then I'll walk home or something, I don't know, we'll see."

He didn't move a muscle, his stare beginning to make Ruby feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Well, I'll go get ready to uh, escape, I guess." Ruby stood up, turning to leave the table.

The moment she left, the man got up, quickly moving to another table and beginning to whisper to another person.  _Success_ , Ruby thought, elated. With rumors about her going crazy and trying to escape, she hoped to make her final act that much more convincing.

What Ruby had thought would be a big day turned out to be surprisingly quick, the obtaining of the key going much more smoothly than she expected and the spreading of rumors being an unusually easy task, though perhaps that was to be expected in a prison camp where there was seldom any objects of interest.

That afternoon, her bloc was selected for a nevermore hunting expedition. The weekly monster hunt was going to happen in three days, the usual length of time, at a nevermore nest seven miles from the camp, where smaller shrubs and scraggly trees began to grow.

Over the next two days, Ruby kept a low profile, letting the rumors spread. She kept to herself, staying silent during lessons and eating dinner at her own residence, trying to seem like a brooding, moody teenager.

On the night of the second day, the loudspeaker called Ruby to the administrator's office. She went to the administration building, waiting for a few minutes in the reception room before being allowed into the administrator's office.

The administrator was sitting at his desk, sorting out paper and typing on his desktop tablet.

"Have a seat, Ruby," he said, looking up at her. "I've been hearing some rumors about you. My wardens have overheard prisoners talking about how you're going to attempt to escape from the camp."

Ruby shrugged, feigning ignorance. "I don't what they're talking about, it's probably just some silly gossip."

"Whether it may or may not be just 'gossip', I'd like to point out to you again that the barriers to this camp are impenetrable to all humanoids without the life key. Even if you managed to get your hands on my life key, these keys are specifically made and tuned to people, so if I wasn't there with you you'd just burn up the moment you touched the barrier."

"I know, I know," Ruby said. "I think it's just because Lily and Max left, and people knew that we were some sort of family, and when they abandoned me..." Ruby trailed off, unwilling to go further.

The administrators face softened almost imperceptibly, a milder expression taking hold of his face. "Ruby, I know that it's probably a tough time for you right now, especially after I told you that your stay at this camp was going to be indefinite and when Maximilian and Lily left. Frankly, I've never had this type of situation occur before. All of our prisoners, barring you, have a chance at redemption and return to the outside world, which keeps them behaving and stops them from becoming suicidal. Don't do anything foolish, Ruby."

He paused, looking sad. "But if you do, I'll understand."

They stared at each other in silence for awhile, before Ruby tightly nodded and left. As Ruby closed the door to his office, she heard him let out a weary sigh.

The day of the hunt came. Ruby got her scythe back, waiting in line at the armory as they handed out the weapons for the hunt. As she left the armory, she vowed to never let it leave her side again. Ruby used most of the hour given to her to polish and oil her scythe, lubricating the mechanisms and giving the blade a new edge. She once again received three ammo clips, this time just asking for twine and binding the extra two clips around her waist, looping the string several times. At the end of the hour, she ran back to her residence and grabbed the material key. Ripping out strips of cloth from the bedsheets and combining it with her leftover twine, she braided them together and made a small rope. Ruby looped it several times vertically and horizontally around the key, then tied it around her upper arm, pulling the sleeve back over it so that it was hidden.

The prisoners once again lined up at the main gate, the wardens herding them along as they began to run. Seven miles was a decently far distance, and so they ran for nearly an hour and a half, as although most of the prisoners were fit they weren't suited to long-distance running, most of them requiring a break by the fifth mile. Ruby felt twitchy, her adrenaline making her want to sprint on ahead, but she conserved her strength, knowing that she would need it for the task ahead of her.

They arrived at the nevermore nest, a medium-sized tree, about thirty feet tall, now just a chunk of dead wood in the ground. It was swamped in the black Grimm, the white armor on the tops of their heads gleaming, their bodies filing out the shape of tree and seeming like writhing leaves. The warden stopped them a mile away from the nest, to give them time to rest before they fought.

"These nevermores have been stealing our supplies and attacking our truck drivers. Try to take out as many of them as you can, before the mother nevermore gets back. Once the mother nevermore arrives, focus your attacks on it. Now, go!"

The prisoners surged forth, the edges of the crowd being prodded onward by the wardens. Ruby felt her heart pounding. Running ahead of the pack, she sprinted, took a few small hops, then bent her knees, feeling her strong legs beneath her, and leaped forward, throwing herself into the middle of the nevermore flock. The bird Grimm flew up in shock, Ruby flying out of nowhere, then recovered and dived onto her, the swirling mass of black nearly obscuring Ruby.

Ruby spun her scythe in arcs around her, firing a precious bullet or two when a nevermore got too close. The prisoners stopped at the tree, staring in awe, unwilling to join in, lest Ruby accidentally dismember them. A few nevermore flew at the crowd of prisoners, but they were shot down quickly.

A minute later, mounds of feathered bodies surrounded Ruby, the rest of the nevermore flying off. Ruby stood there, panting slightly, more out of nervous excitement than actual weariness. She scanned the sky around her, waiting for the mother nevermore to appear. There was a bright flash in the distance, a few miles away.  _The barrier_ , Ruby realized,  _I guess it doesn't fully stop the Grimm_.

The gigantic nevermore approached at tremendous speed, letting out a furious screech as it dived towards the prisoners. The edges of its wingtips were a little seared and the white covering on its head had scorch marks, but it looked otherwise unharmed. The crowd nearly broke formation, a few trying to turn and run, but the wardens blocked them off, pushing them back towards the Grimm. Those with projectile weapon started firing, but the Grimm just swirled its wings around itself, protecting its eyes, then gave a mighty flap, a hailstorm of gigantic black feathers flying downwards and impaling several prisoners. The huge feathers were a twice the size of the men and as dense as steel, some of the feathers crushing people as they tipped over.

Ruby began to scale the tree, kicking off from the trunk and hooking her scythe into the dead branches, until she reached the top, thirty feet in the air. When the nevermore swooped downwards, talons outstretched and raking the ground, Ruby leapt, jumping onto the nevermore's head and slamming her scythe into the space between the feathers. The nevermore screeched, irritated by the bug on its head, and started flying upwards, gaining altitude.

The prisoners looked like ants to Ruby when the nevermore angled itself down towards the ground, hoping to throw Ruby off by going extremely fast. For a moment the nevermore was weightless in the air as it changed directions, and Ruby took the chance to jump forwards and grab the spiked tip of armor on its head, swinging her scythe down and through its eye. The scythe only penetrated halfway through the red, rock-hard orb, but it made the nevermore flinch and spasm, its downward fall becoming uncontrolled.

Ruby held on tightly, gripping the scythe and bracing her feet against the white armor on its head. The nevermore frantically tried to pull out of the dive, trying to unfurl its wings so that it could stop itself from smashing into the ground. The prisoners came back into view, their eyes wide and mouths opened as they stared at the nevermore hurtling towards them. Shaking themselves out of their stupors, the prisoners jumped out of the way, a few pulled back by their friends.

The nevermore managed to get its wings out at the last moment, but its belly still slammed into the ground, its forward momentum pushing it forward and leaving behind a deep furrow in the earth. Ruby was afraid for a moment that her plan had failed, but the nevermore suddenly pushed itself up, one of its wings held at an awkward angle. The feathers had protected it from the brunt of the impact, but it was still dazed and disoriented, its wing fractured. The nevermore took off towards safety, away from the humans, its wingstrokes lopsided, back towards the barrier.

About three hundred feet from the barrier, Ruby jumped off of the nevermore, having used it to get herself away from the wardens and closer to the barrier. She plummeted eighty feet, slamming into the ground feet first, then rolling forwards to get rid of her excess momentum. One of her ankles cracked a little, but Ruby ignored it, sprinting towards the barrier. The barrier was nearly invisible, only a slight heat distortion showing Ruby where it was. She folded her scythe and held the muzzle to her head.

Ruby had gotten this idea after the warden had thrown a javelin through her head. Her aura and soul had disconnected for a second, her consciousness having faded and her brain needing to rewire itself before it could support her soul again.

Praying that this would work, Ruby pulled the trigger the moment before she hit the barrier.

 _BANG-_ her consciousness disappeared.

For a brief second her body slid uninterrupted through the barrier with a  _hum_ , the material key telling it that her body was dead matter, devoid of an aura and authorized to pass through.

And then she regained consciousness too quickly, her brain rerouting neural connections around the gunshot wound and her aura moving back into her body, the barrier reactivating and slicing through her thighs and setting them on fire.

Ruby had the sense to rip off her key and spare ammo clips and throw them away from her, along with her scythe, before the flames spread up her torso. She collapsed to the ground, rolling, trying to smother the flames, but the dusty soil did nothing, a few small plants near her catching fire and instantly burning to a crisp. She caught a glimpse of her legs, on the other side of the barrier, also wreathed in flames, before the fire reached her head and her vision was obscured.

Her hair caught on fire, her eyeballs beginning to melt in her skull, the edges of her cheekbones beginning to be exposed as the blackened skin flaked off. The flames were hotter than anything she had felt before, the fire clearly magical in nature. Her meager aura barely slowed the flames before fading.

A blue light suddenly emanated from Ruby's body, the remaining metal in her arms trying to resist as the flames melted them, the liquid metal dripping from her blackened arms. The incineration collar around her neck turned cherry red, then orange, bubbling a bit and then also sliding off, the puny flames from it incomparable with the inferno that surrounded Ruby. Ruby felt the fire burning through her skin, reaching her muscles, the exposed wound on her thighs cauterized.

And then the last of the metal spikes that had been in her arms dripped out, and Ruby felt whole, strong,  _wild_ , again, her aura flaring back up. Ruby let out a scream from her ragged throat as she felt her suppressed power return, coursing through her. With a little bit of effort, Ruby grasped control of that current and flared it, her aura smothering the magical flames and putting out the fire.

Ruby lay there, panting, her body overloading her mind with signals. Her skin was completely blackened, her eyes wide and exposed in their sockets, her eyelids having been burned off. Her hair was completely gone, seared off. Her arms were nothing more than skeletal sticks, her fingertips just blackened, exposed bone. Her legs were reduced to burnt stumps, barely protruding from her waist.

Charred, missing limbs, reduced to a blackened husk, Ruby fell asleep, damaged but free.

* * *

**NOTE:**

**To make it clearer, Ruby's rewiring ability is very similar to our brain's ability of neuroplasticity, combined with her accelerated healing, allowing for her brain to compensate for crippling damage and heal anything vital quickly. Of course, if the damage is too severe, such as when the wooden swords were driven to her head, no amount of rewiring would fully restore her ability to move, so you see that she was mostly paralyzed.**

**Once again, read and review!**


	23. Travel

She woke up, the sun still shining in her face. Judging by its position, it was now noon.

The rumors, the conversation with the administrator, and her feigned behavior over the past few days would hopefully convince people that Ruby had committed suicide, troubled by the disappearance of Lily and Max and having lost hope for her future. Remembering that her warden had told her that they could detonate the incineration collar at any time, from anywhere, she assumed that they were keeping track of the collars, and she hoped that the melting of the collar would tell them that Ruby was dead.

However, she still had to be careful, especially since she was still so close to the barrier, so she started crawling, the blackened skin around her joints flaking off as she moved forward, the gleam of coiling muscle underneath her skin visible. Her fingers barely able to move, she picked up her scythe and cut open her mouth, her lips having been burned away and fused together due to the intense heat. Biting down on the scythe, she picked up her ammo clips and threw them ahead of her, then started moving towards them.

She dragged herself along for hours, tossing the ammo ahead of her, clawing forward with the charred bone from her fingertips, using the blackened stumps of her legs to push herself along. Ruby grimly realized that her immolation had cauterized her wounds, stemming any blood flow.

The sun was low in the sky when Ruby found her first meal. Finding a small hole in the ground, she camped next to it, waiting for the prairie dog to pop out of the hole. A few minutes later its head poked out, sniffing curiously. Ruby slammed her fingers down, impaling the squirming animal on her bony fingers. Closing her fist and crushing the creature, she raised it to her mouth, lapping at the rivulets of blood that spilled down its fur. After it had stopped squirming and had mostly bled out, Ruby ripped off its head, chewing and crunching it in her mouth, her sharp, strong teeth making short work of the skull. She ate the rest of it in large bites, hoping that the food would give her body the resources it needed to heal.

Finishing up her meal, she dusted her hands off and continued crawling. After hours of nonstop crawling, the landscape had begun to change, grass beginning to grow under her, supporting animal life such as the prairie dog she had just eaten. It was nearly night time, the sun already beginning to set. Although her newly-returned aura pushed her along and kept her strong, she began to grow a little sleepy, her stomach full from the meal and her body telling her to rest and heal. She decided to take a nap and continue crawling during the night, where she could watch out for predators that might try to take advantage of her weakened state. Moving into a tall patch of grass, she curled up and slept.

* * *

She woke up feeling a bit itchy and dusty. The two moons were high in the sky, one full and one fractured. Ruby sat up, bits of ash falling off of her body, small patches of pink skin underneath. The stumps of her legs felt a little longer than before, her body using the food she ate to regrow her lost limbs. He torso and arms were still skeletal, the fat underneath her skin having been burned away by the fire, but her muscles weren't exposed anymore.

The sounds of grunts and squeals were suddenly audible. Ruby froze, a hand on her scythe, as she listened for the boarbatusk herd. The night was dark, the two moons provided little light. Ruby unfolded her scythe, anchoring the blade end into the ground. Pivoting the makeshift sniping stand with her, she looked around, searching for signs of motion.

A large body, then two, then many appeared to her side, the boarbatusks panting and circling her. They were seven feet long, with thick, muscular bodies and tall shoulders, white armor covering them and long tusks protruding from their mouths. One of them cautiously walked towards her, sniffing to see if Ruby was anything edible. With no hesitation, Ruby grabbed hold of its tusks, and with her other hand firmly grasping the scythe anchored in the ground, she pulled the boarbatusk towards her, making it squeal as she positioned the muzzle of scythe over its unprotected belly. Pulling the trigger, she blew two holes into it, then took her scythe out of the ground and swung upwards, gutting the boarbatusk. It flailed weakly as its internal organs spilled out, the blood and guts showering onto Ruby. The other boarbatusks milled around for a bit and then fled, unsure of how to deal with this new threat that had dispatched them so easily.

The viscera of the boarbatusk soaked through her skin, giving her a tingling feeling as her aura pulsed around her. Using her scythe, she systematically butchered the hog Grimm, slicing off the hard plates of armor and carving out chunks of flesh. Settling back onto the ground, she had a nighttime meal. Only able to eat a small portion of the Grimm, she had to leave the rest to scavengers as she continued moving, putting distance between her and the camp.

* * *

Two weeks passed by like this, Ruby waking up each day with more of her limbs regrown and fresh skin slowly replacing the black crust of charcoal on her body. Nevermores had flew across the sky a few times, forcing Ruby to lie low in the grass to avoid being snatched up and dropped from thousands of feet in the air. She stayed away from caves and suspicious rock outcroppings, wary of fighting deathstalkers in her weakened state. Ruby found it fascinating to watch her legs grow, the knees slowly coming back and then the calves and the ankles, and then finally her feet and toes. Her skin was white and pale and unmarked again, her scars having been burned away. She fashioned crude leather sandals out of tough boarbatusk hide, using braids of dried grass to secure them to her feet.

Finally able to walk again, she ran for a bit to get used to her new feet before she started heading back in the opposite direction, back towards the camp. A few hours later, the sun high in the sky, she neared the barrier, the heat distortion giving away its position. Circling around the barrier, she found the trail used by delivery trucks. The road wound across the landscape and would end at the main gate, where prisoners and supplies were dropped off. Turning back and running down the road, she traveled for a few miles before stopping and hiding in the grass by the trail, waiting for a truck to come by.

Hours later, Ruby was dozing off, bored of waiting, when faint rumbles against the ground alerted her that a vehicle was approaching. The truck only a hundred feet away, Ruby left her scythe in the grass and ran onto the road. The truck driver had just started braking when the vehicle reached Ruby. She jumped up, the hood of the vehicle barely skimming her sandals, and slammed into the windshield arms first, the glass shattering around her and cutting her arms a little. Extending her right palm, she let the velocity of the truck push the unfortunate truck driver's head into her hand. His head ruptured, skull fragments and ropes of skin scattering around the interior, even as Ruby's arm and elbow dislocated from the shock. The truck swerved, sliding off the road and onto the flat soil, the wheels having little traction against the loose dirt.

A few seconds later, the truck finally stopped, the smell of burnt rubber wafting through the shattered windshield. Ruby picked herself off of the floor, blood dripping from the cuts on forearms, popping her elbow and shoulder joints back into place. A little hungry from all the excitement, Ruby took a few bites from the truck driver's neck, her sharp teeth ripping through his muscles and crushing his vertebrae.

She was still naked, so she took off the trucker's bloody denim jacket, slipping her arms into it and rolling up the sleeves. She buttoned up the front as tightly as she could, the jacket still hanging loosely on her. Stripping him of his pants, she cut the brown work pants halfway down the shins so she wouldn't trip, and put them on, using the belt buckle to prevent it from falling down. His steel-toed leather boots were a little big, but still better than her makeshift sandals, so wore them and tightened the shoelaces as much as possible. She then shoved his body behind the passenger seat, unlocked the door, and got out of the truck. Pulling glass fragments from her face and arms, she walked back to her hiding spot and picked up her scythe.

The truck had slid a hundred feet from the road, but it seemed otherwise unharmed. Yang had let Ruby try out her motorcycle once, but Ruby had almost wrecked it, forced to jump off after almost hitting a tree. Otherwise, Ruby had no experience in driving, but she was confident she could figure out it. Entering the driver's seat, she first turned off the engine and pulled out the keys, then made sure she could put the keys back in and turn the engine back on. There was still a decent amount of fuel left, the truck driver having planned to make a return trip. The spider-webbed glass was obstructing her vision, so she used the blunt end of her scythe to smash the rest of the glass out, hoping that no rocks would fly through the hole while she was driving.

Moving the shift lever to Drive, she gently pushed down on the petal, the truck giving a grumble and moving forward. Ever so slowly, Ruby managed to move the truck back onto the road, afraid that she would tip over and lose her only mode of quick transportation.

Driving slowly for the first hour, and then speeding up, she drove until the sky started growing dark, the sun setting. The landscape had become greener, more lush, with actual vegetation by the side of the road and a few clumps of leafy trees. Small hills covered in green grass had appeared on the sides of the road. She stopped the truck at the side of the trail, shifting the lever to Park and pulling out the keys. Biting a few more chunks out of the truck driver's forearm, she leaned her seat back and dozed off, feeling safe in her vehicle.

She woke up early the next morning, the sky still a pale blue, the sun yet to fully rise. The trucker's body was a little stiff, but not yet decaying, so Ruby deemed it safe to eat and ripped off pieces of his shoulder, absentmindedly chewing as she thought out her plan. She didn't really have one, as her only goal right now was to get to the hoverjet port where she had been dropped off at by following the road. She'd probably have to steal a hoverjet, but she wasn't sure how she would accomplish that.

Yawning and stretching, she put the key back into the ignition, turning the engine on and shifting the lever to Drive. She was probably close, as she had been driving for hours now. Getting back on the road, she confidently accelerated to a decent speed, driving down the mostly straight path.

At around noon, she saw a small compound in the distance, situated in a clearing, surrounded by a line of trees. Stopping her truck by the side of the road, she ate a bit more of the truck driver's chest, then hauled him out of the truck, dropping him deep in the line of trees where animals would get rid of the body. Grabbing her scythe and getting out of the truck, she trotted off towards the compound, intending to scout it out before she tried to break in.

The hoverjet port consisted of a few small, low buildings, the overall area much smaller than the camp. Seven trucks were parked in a small lot easily accessible through the main entrance. The low fences were just links of metal, with no barbed wire or spotlights or guard towers, security obviously not high on the occupants' minds. The location was remote, Ruby seeing no cities or other signs of civilization anywhere near the compound. Even as she watched, a massive hoverjet approached from the distance, floating over the port and then descending straight down into the center of the compound. The back of the hoverjet opened and about twenty people swarmed it, entering the hoverjet and wheeling out large wooden crates.

Ruby took the opportunity, hoping that all of the workers would be preoccupied with unloading the hoverjet as she left the cover of the tree line and began sprinting towards the camp. Half a minute later, she reached the fences and jumped them, dashing into the cover of the nearest building. Looking around the corners and making sure that no one had raised an alarm, she ran towards the parking lot.

With one more check to make sure that no one was around, she sliced through the locks on the hatches at the back of the truck and lifted the sliding door up, just enough for her to crawl through, then gently set the door down behind her. There was one dim light at the ceiling of the truck, gently illuminating the contents of the back. Randomly choosing a crate, she unlatched the lid and opened it up to find it full of steel coolers, labeled with the names of Grimm. She shifted the containers of specimens aside and made room for herself, her thin frame able to slide into the spaces between the containers. Reaching up and latching the container from the inside, she settled down and waited for them to begin loading.

An hour later, she heard voices coming from the outside of the truck.

"Hey, Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"This lock here's broken. You know anythin' about it?"

"Lemme take a look out it."

A pair of footsteps came near the vehicle.

"Eh, looks like one of them damn Ursa's tried to claw it open. Open it up, see if anything got damaged."

The door rattled as it was pushed up.

"Everything seems fine, guess the Ursa couldn't figure out how to open the door. Alright, let's get these loaded onto the jet."

Ruby let out a small sigh of relief as they began moving the crates, hauling them onto wheeled cargo carriers and rolling them down a ramp and off of the truck. There was a grunt and Ruby's crate shifted to the side, onto the carrier. She felt herself being wheeled for a minute, and then she leaned forward a bit as she was pushed up the ramp and into the back of the hoverjet.

As she was pushed off of the carrier, she heard one of the workers let out a cry of surprise.

"Woah, what the hell is that thing? Is that a fuckin' devil?"

Ruby perked her ears and listened closely. It sounded like someone was talking to themselves in different tones and voices, at times muttering softly and at other times angrily berating itself.

"Yeah, special delivery. It's some weird type of faunus. Kinda looks like like a little demon, huh? Just keep your hands away from him."

The voices walked off, still talking. Ruby heard a whirring noise as the cargo bay closed, the locking mechanisms sealing shut with a hiss. The hoverjet took off, shooting upwards and then forward. After waiting a few more minutes just to be careful, Ruby opened up the top of her crate and peeked out, her head barely clearing the sides. Aside from a little faunus with horns and a spaded tail that was sitting on the ceiling of his cage, upside-down and muttering to himself, the coast was clear. Ruby took the worker's advice and skirted around the cage, the faunus inside ignoring her.

The cargo area was filled with crates of all sorts of sizes, live animals inside some of the cages. The entire area was gleaming white, the ceiling and floor covered in a grid pattern. She walked up the steps at the front of the massive cargo area, quietly opening the door and slipping in.

Ruby found herself in a small hallway, dimly lit with lightbulbs in the ceiling. There were a few doors that entered into the hallway. Ruby opened the first one and checked inside, finding that the door led to a small living quarter, just enough space for a bunk bed and a desk. The next door led to a small food preparation area, the next to a supply room, then a bathroom, and then finally a small office.

Done surveying the rooms, she crept towards the last door at the end of the hallway. Putting her ear against the cold metal, she heard a pilot speaking into a radio and flicking switches. In one quick motion, she ripped the door off of its hinges and threw it down the hallway, not risking the possibility of the hinges squeaking. Before the pilots could react, she had an arm around each of their throats, choking them.

"Tell them you're fine, and then turn off the radio," she whispered into their ears.

They hesitated.

"Do it or you die. I don't care if this plane goes down with me; I'll live but you two won't."

Their voices and hands trembling slightly, they complied, reassuring the other end and turning the radios off. Ruby used the opportunity to look over them. One was grey-haired and clean shaven, looking to be in his sixties. The other man was young and had light golden-brown hair, good-looking a rugged way, his brown eyes wide with fright.

"Alright, great," Ruby said brightly, happy that things were going her way. "So which one of you is the pilot?"

"M-me," the old man said, a tremor in his voice. "My son's just the copilot, I'm the one you want."

"So that mean I don't need him, right?" Ruby said, beginning to squeeze her arm around the young man's throat.

"No! That's not what I meant!" the old man cried. The plane tilted a little as his hand twitched.

"Do I need him to fly the plane?" Ruby asked, puzzled.

"Yes! W-well, I mean no, but-"

"Dad!" the young man cried out in fear.

The old man began speaking quickly, nervous. "You don't have to hurt any of us, just tell me where you want to go, we'll keep quiet, we just deliver thi-"

"Shh," Ruby said, a little annoyed. She paused, thinking. Her plan hadn't really extended this far, so she had to think a little about what to do.

"Umm, do you know anyone named Jack Everest?" It was a wild guess, but that was the only thing she had.

The old man nodded rapidly, relieved. "Yes, yes, everyone knows him, he's the head of the Department of State Affairs, pretty famous for-"

"Do you know where he lives?" Ruby asked, interrupting him.

"I, uhh-" The old man paused for a few seconds, sweat beading on his forehead. "Please don't kill m-"

"He lives in a mansion in the upper-class district, I know where it is," the young man squeaked out.

Ruby looked at him, surprised. "Well, I guess you're more useful than your dad." The old man moaned in fear. "Alright, if you know where it is, then let's go."

"W-what? I can't just fly to his house!"

Ruby leaned down, looking him in the eye and baring her sharp teeth, a bit of her aura slipping out and coating her in red. "You'll bring me there, or I'll tear you to pieces."

The young man gulped and nodded. Ruby smiled and straightened back up.

"Do you guys have a parachute? I can just drop down onto his house if you guys don't want to land on it."

"I-it's in the storage box on the wall," the old man said.

"Great! Alright, let's go already. I'll just stay here and watch over the two of you until we get there."

The young man punched coordinates onto a screen in front of him, sweating profusely as he mistyped a number and had to reenter it.

"We'll get there in about twelve hours at top speed." His face paled as he realized how long Ruby would have to stay here with them.

"No problem," Ruby said, sitting down on the floor and taking her arms away from their necks. "If I think either of you are doing something you shouldn't be, I'll just kill one of you and have the other one to fly."

She sat still, humming to herself.

A few minutes later, Ruby found herself bored out of her mind.

"So, do you guys know any jokes?"

* * *

"We've arrived," the old man said, relieved.

It had been a long twelve hours, and both pilots were exhausted. Ruby looked energetic and determined, having finally reached her goal.

"How far up are we?" Ruby asked, standing up and stretching.

"We're about two thousand feet up, right over Everest's house. Any lower and people will start getting suspicious."

Ruby nodded, walking to the storage box and grabbing a parachute pack, sliding her arms through the straps.

The old man exchanged a glance with his son. "Before you go, can we ask why-"

"He killed my parents," Ruby said darkly.

They were silent for a moment.

"Well, I'll be going now," she said, pulling open the door on the side of the cabin.

"Wait, we haven't told you how to use the parachute yet-"

Ruby jumped out of the hoverjet, only just realizing what they said.

 _Woops_ , she thought to herself, flailing at her straps and randomly pulling at cords. Her parachute partially deployed, half of the cloth inflating while the other half was stuck in the pack. Spiraling downwards at an alarming rate, Ruby braced herself, flaring her aura. Her aura mostly protected her as she slammed into the courtyard at an angle, the stone pavement underneath her shattering and chips of concrete flying around her. She rolled forward, getting rid of her momentum as she came to a stop, on her back and staring upwards at a very surprised Jaune Arc.

"Ahhh!"

* * *

**Note:**

**And there we go, we've finally arrived here.**

**Read, review, and ask any questions you might have!**


	24. Reunion

"Ahh!"

Jaune screamed, wheeling backwards and falling onto his bottom.

Ruby stared in shock for another moment, surprised to see her former friend from Beacon, then leapt forward, clutching his throat and slamming him head into the ground. Jaune's aura flared, the white glow protecting him from the damage but not preventing Ruby from choking him. Ruby leaned into him, whispering an apology as Jaune's eyes rolled back into his head. She considered killing him, just to make sure there were no witnesses, but was interrupted by a shout.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha yelled worriedly, dashing into the courtyard.

Instantly taking in the scene in front of her, she threw out her shield, using her semblance to control it like a boomerang.

"Nora, Ren, get over here!"

Pulling her weapon out from her waistband, Ruby unfolded the scythe and deflected the shield, slamming it into the ground and jumping at Pyrrha. Pyrrha dodged her swing and stabbed forward, her weapon its double-edged short sword form, catching the edge of Ruby's denim jacket. Ruby jumped away and fired with her scythe, but Pyrrha had pulled the shield back to herself and deflected the Dust bullets. Switching her weapon to javelin form, she threw it lightning-fast, a shot firing out the other end and propelling it forward. Too fast for Ruby to see, the javelin slammed through her chest and impaled her to the stone.

Pyrrha gaped in surprise as she watch Ruby immediately get back up, grasping the javelin and ripping it out of her chest. She threw the javelin far away, Pyrrha's weapon landing in the gardens.

Then Ruby was on her again, slamming her scythe into her shield. Pyrrha was beginning to get pushed back, Ruby's scythe whirling from multiple directions and sometimes sliding past her shield, opening up cuts on her upper arms. Pyrrha was tiring, her arms forced to move quickly in order to block Ruby's attacks. Finally, she slipped up, shield falling a little low. Hooking her blade around the edge of Pyrrha's shield and throwing it to the side, Ruby rendered Pyrrha defenseless and forced her off-balance. Pyrrha threw her arms up as Ruby swung her scythe around and prepared to cleave her in half.

A sudden explosion of pink rocked Ruby's vision, momentarily stunning Ruby as she flew back and hit a stone bench, shattering it. Picking herself up, she caught a glimpse of Nora's orange hair before her hammer collided with Ruby, the pink recoil coming out of the other end adding extra power to her swing. Sailing through the air once more, she flew across the courtyard and slammed into a tree. A little disoriented, she shook her head and charged at Nora, who started backing up.

"Ren, help! She's like a zombie or something! I can't make her stay down!"

Ruby saw Pyrrha in the corner of her eye as she ran towards Nora, Pyrrha bent over Jaune and trying to rouse him. She swung at Nora, who raised the handle of her hammer, the scythe blade scraping against it with a shower of sparks. Ruby spun away, pivoting, then turned back for a roundhouse kick, slamming her foot into Nora's stomach and knocking her back.

Ren suddenly came from above, firing green blasts of aura from his gun. Ruby whirled her scythe, blocking most of the shots, and swung at Ren. Ren ducked and moved forward, jabbing his bladed pistols at her arms. Ruby twisted and evaded one of them, the other sinking into her shoulder. Shifting her grip, she reversed her scythe and jabbed the pointed back end at Ren, who dodged her stabs with light steps, taking the opportunity to move in even closer. Ren slammed the other pistol blade-first into her thigh, freeing his hands, then flared his aura and hit her in the base of her throat with a double palm-strike, pink shockwaves emanating outwards as Ruby flew back, taking Ren's pistols with her.

Once again, Ruby stood up, rubbing her bruised throat and pulling out Ren's weapons, also throwing them far away.

"I see what you mean, Nora," Ren said, panting.

Nora walked up and stood next to him, her weapon back in grenade launcher form and aimed at Ruby. Pyrrha also stepped forward, Jaune propped on her shoulder.

"Why are you here, Ruby?" Pyrrha asked. "Didn't you get sent to Rogue camp?"

Ruby shook her head. "I don't have time to talk, I need to see Everest."

Nora had a quizzical expression on her face. "We're his bodyguards, Ruby, we can't just let  _you_ go see him, you know, with your criminal status and all."

"Ruby, we can talk this out," Ren said, trying to placate her.

"It's better if you guys didn't know about this," Ruby said with a grim expression.

She scanned their faces, seeing that Ren and Pyrrha were missing their weapons and Jaune was unconscious. Ren and Pyrrha's auras were flickering, Ruby's aura-augmented attacks wearing them out and their own aura usage taking its toll.

Quickly, she switched to her weapon to shotgun mode and shot Ren twice in the leg, a surprised expression on his face as he crumpled to the ground.

"Ren!" Nora cried out.

Switching targets, she shot Pyrrha in the arm and shoulder before she could react, making her drop Jaune and clutch her arm in pain. Nora's attention was focused on Ren, trying to help him up and stop his bleeding, so Ruby also shot Nora twice in the back, dropping her to the ground.

 _Easier than expected,_  Ruby thought, feeling a little bad about taking advantage of their friendships with each other. Pyrrha was on her knees, trying to stem the blood from her shoulder, so Ruby kicked her in the head, rendering her unconscious. Ren was writhing in pain on the ground, Nora weakly gasping beside him. Jaune was beginning to wake up a little, so Ruby shot him twice in the legs and once more in his sword arm. Jaune jerked awake with a pained gasp, looking around him in shock.

"Ruby, what did you do?" he wheezed. He saw the bodies sprawled before him, his alarm growing. "You shot Pyrrha!" he shouted.

"Sorry, but I can't let anything stop me," Ruby said, walking past them as she headed towards the mansion.

Ruby felt something enter her and looked down, surprised at the sword that was coming out of her stomach. The blade glowed white, and Ruby turned around, seeing Jaune emanating aura, his wounds suddenly healed.

"For Pyrrha," he whispered, angry tears in his eyes.

Ruby sighed and grabbed his right arm, closing her fist and shattering his bones. Jaune let out a little scream and jerked his arm, his grip loosening from his sword, falling to his knees. Ruby pulled him up by his other arm, breaking it too, then kicked him in the legs to make sure that they were also broken. She pulled the sword out of her and tossed it to the ground.

"You'll be fine once your aura recovers again," Ruby told him.

She turned to walk away again, but Jaune somehow managed to grab her ankle.

"Please... help Pyrrha." he gasped. "Don't let her die."

Ruby looked back at the scene of carnage. Nora and Ren had fallen unconscious, suffering heavy blood loss. Pyrrha was also unconscious, blood leaking out of her shoulder. Ruby didn't really know whether she wanted to kill them or not, but now that she had the chance to save them, she felt that she had to take some responsibility for her actions.

Taking off her denim jacket, she tore it into strips and bound the worst of their wounds, stemming the blood flow. Shaking Ren and Pyrrha awake, she told them to flare their auras and reinforce their bodies to slow the bleeding. Walking back over to Jaune, who was slowly beginning to heal, his aura weakly returning, she told him to try to heal Nora or at least stop her bleeding with his aura.

Finally done tending to her former friends, she walked out of the courtyard and headed for the mansion. A wide expanse of lawn separated the courtyard and the mansion, so Ruby hoped that Everest hadn't heard all the commotion she had made.

She walked up to the double doors, slicing the lock at the front and entering the building. The interior was brilliantly white, marbles surfaces everywhere. A large room was in front of her, decorated with paintings and tables with vases of flowers on top of them. Walking forward, she reached a pair of stairs, grey stone with black iron banisters, both leading to the upper floor.

"Hello?" Everest's voice came from the floor above her. "Did something happen?"

"I happened," Ruby shouted, and leapt up the stair case, only needing to jump twice before reaching the second floor. She ran down the hallway, a door opening in front of her and a shocking Everest looking out.

Increasing her speed, she grabbed Everest before he could move and threw him back inside his office, his body slamming into an oak table and breaking it in half, pens and paper flying across the room. Ruby shut the door behind her, folding her scythe and tucking it at her waist. Her hands were clenched into fists as she walked up to Everest, who was coughing and lying on the ground between the splintered halves of the desk.

"They told me you were at Rogue camp, Ruby." he said, pushing himself up. "And why are you only wearing pants?"

Ruby ignored his second question. "I escaped," she said.

"How?"

Ruby let out a scream of frustration and grabbed his collar, holding him up. He was dressed in a white shirt and tie, with grey dress pants.

"Stop trying to distract me!" she screamed. "Why did you kill my parents?"

"You were supposed to die too, Ruby. You weren't supposed to suffer like this," he said with a downcast expression.

Ruby threw him again, slamming him into the wall.

"Answer my question! Tell me why!"

Everest coughed up a little blood, holding his palms out in front of him. "Let me tell you my story, and then you can toss me around as much as you want, alright?"

Ruby resisted the urge to eat him alive, to rip out his flesh and veins and organs while he writhed and screamed. She growled but stood still, tapping her foot.

Taking that as agreement, he began speaking.

"I was young, headstrong, and brash, and I saw the world in black and white, in absolutes. When my superiors approached me about creating a team of assassins to take down dissenting faunus and their supporters, I readily agreed and enthusiastically embraced my job."

He sighed.

"I thought that all who stood against us were evil. I truly thought we were doing the right things, that we were on the side of good. People like your parents, who strongly criticized our government and were becoming increasingly outspoken voices, had to die, had to be sacrificed for the greater good."

"Did you ever think about the children? What their lives would be like without their parents?" Ruby asked in a pained voice.

Everest shook his head. "I wanted to get rid of them too, I wanted to make sure that those 'evil' ideas didn't spread to future generations that might come back and bite us in the ass. I was wrong, Ruby, and I realized that far too late. So I tried to redeem myself by adopting a faunus child. I loved him as if he were my real son. He was my pride and my joy. Although he wasn't very strong physically, he was extremely smart, earning him an invitation to Beacon. I eagerly agreed to send him there, and that's..." he trailed off, his face growing taut.

"That's where I killed him," Ruby finished softly.

"You didn't just kill him, you tortured him to death and ate him," Everest said, growing angry. "You had no right to do what you did."

Ruby had gone in with the intention to take her revenge against Everest, but now she was having second thoughts. Hadn't she brutally killed his family member too? Hadn't she committed terrible wrongs against him?

"I don't think I'll ever forgive you," Ruby said slowly, "but I don't think I have the right to kill you either."

"I guess both of us did horrible things to each other," Everest said, getting up.

Ruby sighed, turning to leave. This meeting hadn't been what she had expected it to be, and now she felt a little lost and still unfulfilled.

"One more thing, Ruby," Everest suddenly said, remembering something. "Maybe I can right some wrongs and help you begin to heal yourself."

Ruby turned around, wondering what he was going to say.

"Alys is alive."

Ruby reeled back, his mind thrown into disarray. "What?"

"You should see the look on your face," Everest chuckled. "Frankly, she should have been dead. She had nearly no signs of live, and all the doctors gave up on her. And then her aura activates and she manages to hold herself together, enough for a couple rounds of blood transfusions. She was in and out of consciousness for awhile, but last I heard, she had woken up and recovered fully."

Ruby backed up a few steps, supporting herself against the wall. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." she mumbled. "I have to go."

She opened up the door, and the four members of Team JNPR tumbled inside, having been trying to eavesdrop.

Ruby stared at them. "That was supposed to be a private conversation."

"We're his bodyguards, remember?" Nora said, grinning. "We get to spy on him for his own good."

"Where's your jacket?" Jaune asked, noticing her exposed chest and blushing.

Ren shrugged off his green tunic, wearing a form-fitting black undershirt underneath it, and gave it to Ruby.

"Thanks," Ruby said, slipping it on. It was still a little big, the sleeves a bit too long, but it covered her.

Everest smiled, evidently used to their quirks.

"Wait, how did you guys get assigned to Everest?" Ruby wondered.

"We met him during his stay at Beacon, when he was investigating the attacks on the students," Pyrrha said. "We met up with him, chatted a little, and he offered to let us be his bodyguards for real-world experience to advance in our Hunter training."

"We didn't really expect to do anything," Jaune said. "I guess we were unprepared."

"Nah, you guys did fine, I just took advantage of you guys when we were talking," Ruby said.

Ren shook his head. "Pyrrha stabbed you in the chest, I stabbed you in the arm and leg, and Jaune said you stabbed you in the stomach. You weren't even tired, and all you did was ignore us and take our weapons away. How did you do that?"

Ruby shrugged. "I dunno," she said truthfully. "It just happens."

"Well, we need to have a rematch," Nora demanded. "We'll fight again after I heal, and I won't go easy on you the next time," she promised.

"Stay with us a few days?" Pyrrha asked. "I understand that you're a fugitive, but we promise not to turn you in. I just want to hear about what Rogue camp was like and how you escaped from there."

"Well, I sort of need to go somewhere," Ruby said hesitantly. She wanted to find Alys, but she also wanted to reconnect with her friends. However, she didn't know if they could accept her after all she had done.

Pyrrha saw her hesitation and gave her a little smile. "We also promise not to judge you, Ruby. Let's go talk for awhile, for old time's sake, before you go."

"Alright," Ruby said, giving in. "One more thing."

She turned to address Everest.

"You told me that you wanted to keep those killings in your past. If I ever hear about a suspicious death or a random killing, and I suspect that it's you, I'll definitely be paying you a visit again," she threatened.

Everest looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I'm going to try to avoid killing innocents, Ruby, but sacrifices have to be made sometimes. And if I resign, someone worse, someone who enjoys having control over life and death, will take my place."

He waved his hand. "But don't worry, I'm working on something that will possibly eliminate the need for people like me, ever again."

Ruby nodded and left the room, following the four team members.

* * *

**Note:**

**And that was this. Read, review, comment, and thanks for reading :)**

**Q &A:**

**Q: Will you be explaining how Ruby gained such powers?**

**A: Definitely. I hate having things happen without reason, so I already planned out the system behind auras, souls, and Dust.**

**EDIT: I'd like to point out that JNPR did just overhear their conversation, and they realized why Ruby was like this. Remember, they are the kind of people who still consider Ruby as a friend, no matter why Ruby thinks.**

**EDIT2: I'd like to respond to the guest comment, which I have to do here because I can't message him/her.**

**The point was, no matter how well prepared they claim they are, they actually aren't, not at all. They are still naive students at Beacon, who haven't realized how close they were to dying. They treat this thing almost as a game, Nora's comment about Ruby being a "zombie" clearly indicating this. And they still try to talk it out with her, even when Ruby nearly killed Jaune.**

**Pyrrha was**

**1\. Completely surprised at Ruby's endurance, not expecting her to recover so quickly. Sure, as one of the mature members of their team, she responded with lethal force, recognizing Ruby's threat, but she really didn't expect Ruby to get back up, nor expect Ruby to be able to just pluck the weapon out of her chest and throw it away.**

**2\. Her semblance has a certain range, and her fighting style depends on full use of her shield and sword, so when Ruby tosses these weapons out of her reach she is essentially defenseless. She fought quite well with Ruby when she had her weapons, able to block each shot from Ruby and able to damage Ruby's clothing, despite part of Ruby's semblance being "speed", as said in the show. You might also want to notice that her shield is a Dipylon style shield, which may or may not even have been used, as it has mostly been seen in geometric art on Greek vases. It is highly impractical, with sides cut out of it, and Ruby takes advantage of that, attacking form multiple directions and exploiting the shield's weakness.**

**Jaune**

**1\. He's one of the foolish characters, one of those people who are slow to respond. He's probably one of the most innocent of the group, as he doesn't instantly react upon seeing Ruby, instead choosing to let out a surprised scream and stare at her. Thus, Ruby knocked him out of the fight before he could make full use of his aura, as Ruby choked him out.**

**2\. Jaune is easily emotionally disturbed, as seen by his reaction upon seeing Pyrrha bleeding out. Thus, when he attacks, Ruby, he does it out of passion, conducting his aura into his sword and setting it alight with a white glow. If you haven't known by now, the show officially stated that their weapons are conduits for their aura. Jaune channeled his mostly into his sword, intending to kill Ruby, swamped with emotions. Ruby is unaffected by the attack, due to her unique state of numbness, rage, and healing factor, and thus completely negates his attack and takes the opportunity to attack his unprotected body.**

**Nora**

**1\. She loves to fight, but is also fun-loving and a "good" girl. She definitely has hesitations about killing Ruby, and thus also stops to try to talk to her.**

**2\. She has an extremely close bond to Ren, and once again, like I said, no matter how much they might claim it, they are very, very inexperienced. They are still students at Beacon, and they haven't been in many actual "life or death" fights. So when Ren goes down, she panics, immediately focused on helping him up, so Ruby shoots her, too. They are essentially like children, easily distracted from the immediate fight and not realizing the severity of the conflict they are in. Meanwhile, Ruby has literally gone through life and death, and knows what is important. She is also single-mindedly focused on her goal, she has no hesitation in taking Nora out.**

**Ren**

**1\. Ren is almost as ruthless as Pyrrha, being one of calmer and more serious mind. He stabs Ruby in the shoulder and leg, intending to incapacitate her, then lands a palm strike on her throat, the same palm strike that he used in the official show to explode the King Taijitsu's head. He takes this fight seriously, but still not seriously enough, still trying to negotiate with Ruby. You can see how he also doesn't recognize the severity of the situation, by the way he instantly offers Ruby clothing afterward.**

**2\. He's one of the few main characters shown in the show to get tired. He collapses during the Death Stalker fight in the show, worn out and beaten after fighting the King Taijitsus. He put a huge amount of energy into his palm strike, as shown by the pink shockwaves, and once that didn't work he has to try to recover. He also lost both of his weapons in a gamble to disable Ruby and have the chance to land his palm-strike, which obviously didn't work out.**

**Now, back to another point. You say that Ruby is suddenly having focused thoughts, something she wasn't capable of before. However, you'll notice that whenever Ruby has a goal, a loved one, or a passion, she will be able to suppress her primal instincts and focus. This is shown by her escape from camp, along with her calculated attempts to hijack to hoverjet.**

**She didn't spend the last several months killing people randomly, she did it out of necessity. If she let the truck driver live, he would have alerted her. In addition, I think that's the only one she killed. The other things were just animals. She only remembered Everest on the day right before Max and Lily left, so your statement didn't really make any sense and I encourage you to re-read the chapters.**

**And once again, I point out, they overheard the entire conversation, and learned what made Ruby the way she was. And once again, they are very innocent, naive, 2-year Beacon students. Their viewpoints of the world have still not matured, and thus they don't treat Ruby as the threat she really is. They should have called the cops after seeing their inability to handle her, but instead they try to get back up and fight her again, and they even take the chance to stop and try to eavesdrop on her. All their actions point to an immature view of the world. Maybe they'll learn from this experience, but in mostly likelyhood they won't. Their worldviews just got validated from the fact that Ruby let them live, and everything turned out "alright in the end". They'll need to learn their lesson, sooner than later, if they want to survive in the world of Grimm and forces of darkness.**

**As of Ruby's power level: Ruby is not invincible. She came close to death upon being drugged and almost losing her head and she nearly burned to death in the fire. In fact, all she has going for her is wolverine-like(as another user pointed out) healing powers, and the only people she's been fighting so far are common murderers and prisoners, who aren't even hunters, and then some inexperienced Beacon students. Sure, she's demonstrated great strength and she's crushed androids, but you saw how easily Blake and Adam destroyed those androids in the trailer. Furthermore, Glynda easily stopped her with a few glyphs, and Ruby hasn't even come close to the Fire User(episode 1)'s power level. The fire user literally created multiple explosions and dissapated an entire lightning storm. Glynda created a giant chain of ice and almost speared a hoverjet. I don't think that Ruby's even close to becoming "too strong", she's just stronger than her similarly-aged peers as of this moment.**

**I obviously can't put all of this in the story, but I ask you to trust me :)**

**However, I do enjoy explaining this, so if you have any questions feel free to ask :D**


	25. Back

Ruby stayed for another two days at the mansion, telling the team about what it was like at the Rogue camp and how she escaped. Of course, she censored some details, but they still looked a little shocked at the lawlessness of the camp and the fact that Ruby was sent there in the first place. They avoided the topic of Ruby's past, trying to avoid judging her as they had promised. Ruby got a few more details from them about what Everest was doing, in order to "eliminate the need" for people like him.

"Blake and Yang asked us to help in a settling program," Pyrrha explained. "We were going to help skew the selected volunteers in favor of faunus settlers, but Everest caught us. We thought he was going to arrest us, but after we explained what we were doing, he said that he would help."

"It was really surprising," Nora said, "But I think, after overhearing your conversation, I understand why he's doing this."

"So what's the point?" Ruby asked.

"We're going to help give the faunus their own city, where they can live their lives freely and have their own independence," Jaune said.

"And they'll also get some negotiating power and an informal state," Pyrrha added. "Hopefully, we'll finally be able to make some headway in faunus-human diplomacy."

"That sounds really good," Ruby said, impressed. "So where is it?"

Ren shook his head. "Sorry, Ruby, we can't really tell you. Private information, and all that. We weren't even supposed to know, but Blake heard them talking about it."

"Makes sense," Ruby said. "Can't have people blabbing about the faunus takeover of a settlement, I guess."

As she was packing up to leave the next day, Ruby finished her story.

"And then I hijacked the hoverjet and parachuted down, landing in front of Jaune. And then you know what happened next," Ruby finished.

"Yeah, I was really surprised," Jaune said, "and then you choked me unconscious before I could say anything."

"Well at that point, I really wanted to kill Everest," Ruby said. "I would have done anything to get to him."

"So, Ruby, what are you going to do now?" Ren asked. "I hope this trip has given you some sort of closing about the death of your parents."

"Ren! You're not supposed to say things like that out loud!" Nora exclaimed, elbowing him. "Sorry Ruby, he's a little insensitive sometimes."

"It's alright, that's a good question," Ruby said, smiling. "I'm going to go back to Beacon and then I'll see what I'll do from there."

"Why are you going back to Beacon?" Pyrrha asked, curious.

"Umm," Ruby said, blushing. "There's someone I like there."

Pyrrha realized what was going on. "Oh! Well, good luck with that!" she said, grinning.

"Yeah, good luck!" Nora said.

Ren and Jaune also wished her luck as Ruby finished packing up her new set of belongings. They had given her a large travel bag, along with a new set of clothes. Her scythe had been cleaned and reloaded with her usual heavy-duty ammo. Everest had allowed her to use his private hoverjet, as her fugitive status would get her arrested if she used any of the airships for transportation. He said it was the first step toward "righting the wrongs between us".

He also gave Ruby a small card, looking like a miniature lien. "You are strong, no doubt about it. You could use your strength for good, once you get your things taken care of. I asked JNPR to talk to you about the settling program, and I've decided that you could definitely help us. The coordinates are on here. Think about it."

Ruby nodded and slipped the card into her pocket. She wouldn't even need it, as she was never going to leave Alys again, but she appreciated the offer.

Just before she left, Pyrrha took her aside to talk to her in private.

"Ruby, I know I promised not to judge you, but can you tell me something?" she asked.

"Sure," Ruby said.

"How do you feel mentally? Do you still want to injure and kill people, like you did back at Beacon? I don't want to send you back to Beacon so you can kill some more people."

"Pyrrha, I'd like to think that I'm changed. I messed up really bad in the past, but Alys brings out the best in me," Ruby said. "I can promise you that I won't kill anyone at Beacon. I'm really trying to change, Pyrrha, I really am."

Pyrrha nodded. "Alright, Ruby," she said, giving her a hug. "I hope everything works out."

"Me too," Ruby responded quietly.

* * *

As they flew to Beacon, Everest showed her how to properly use a parachute. Everest had been a bit stumped when he realized that he wouldn't be able to land normally and deliver Ruby as a passenger, but Ruby had the idea that she could parachute down, properly this time.

They arrived in a few hours, the afternoon sun illuminating Beacon in a warm glow. Ruby was wearing a white sweatshirt and grey sweatpants, trying to obscure as much of her features as possible. She held the large travel bag in one hand, a parachute pack on her back.

"Are you ready, Ruby?"

Ruby nodded, too excited to speak.

He held out his hand. "Let's both work towards becoming better people, alright?"

Ruby shook his hand. "Thanks for the ride, Everest."

Ruby opened the sliding door and jumped, beginning to freefall. The aerial view was spectacular, the columns and towers of Beacon rising into the sky, the sprawling courtyards and ponds forming geometric patterns. Ruby aimed for the edge of the Emerald Forest, trying to remain out of sight.

She opened her parachute two thousand feet above the forest, her descent slowing as she continued to fall. Right before she hit the trees, she puffed out the canopy of her parachute a little more, slowing her fall to a crawl before she hit the trees, smashing through thin branches until she hit the ground. Dusting herself off, she slipped out of the parachute pack and picked up her travel bag, beginning the trek to her dorm room.

She planned to stop by her room first, to see how Yang and Blake were doing and to grab her lien so she could access her inheritance. Pulling up her hoodie and shrouding her face, she pretended to be just another student as she walked through the courtyard and into the school. Traveling down familiar hallways, she noted that the damage she had done had been fixed, the walls put back up with a fresh coat of paint on them.

She finally arrived at her dorm room, nervously setting down her bag and adjusting the bottom of her sweatshirt. Reminding herself that Blake and Yang had tried to help her escape, she knocked on the door.

Half a minute later, the door opened and Blake's head popped out.

"Hey, who's-" Her eyes widened, recognizing Ruby's face.

Ruby immediately grabbed her throat and shoved her back into the room, closing the door behind her.

"Shh," Ruby whispered furiously.

She let go of her and Blake stumbled back, coughing. Yang came out of the guest room, wondering who had been at the door.

"Ruby?" she asked, unbelieving.

"Yup," Ruby said. "Hi, Yang."

The two were wearing shorts and t-shirts, their clothes hastily thrown on and their hair messy.

Blake moved in front of Yang, blocking Ruby's view. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Rogue camp?" she asked, frowning.

Ruby sighed, having been asked that question for the umpteenth time. "I escaped, long story, and I'm here to get my lien and see Yang again."

"It's alright, Blake," Yang said softly, gently moving her aside. "So how are you, sis?"

"I'm okay. I just wanted to see you again, before I leave." Ruby held her arms out for a hug.

"We should report her," Blake said fiercely. "She's been at Rogue camp, and she somehow managed to escape when nobody else has been able to. We don't know how much she's changed. Stay away from her, Yang."

Ruby saw the hesitation in Yang's eyes and dropped her arms. "It's fine, I understand," she said sadly.

"Ruby..."

"It was good seeing you again," Ruby said. "I'll just get my lien and leave."

They watched her from across the room as she walked to her bunk bed, lifting the mattress up and grabbing the lien she had stashed under it.

Ruby suddenly thought of something. If they reported her, her meeting with Alys would be compromised...

She spun on them, making the two flinch. "You're not going to report me, are you?" she asked, a hand on her scythe.

"Of course not, sis, I-"

Blake interrupted her. " _Of course_  we're going to report her! She's a dangerous criminal who just escaped one of the most heavily guarded prisons on Vytal!"

Ruby's face took on a bleak expression. "Are you sure, Blake?" She unzipped her travel bag, quickly pulling out her weapon in shotgun form. "Move and I'll shoot you both. Don't think about running, I'll shoot you enough that your aura won't be able to protect you."

"Blake," Yang hissed, "that wasn't really smart of you. We're not even armed."

She raised her voice so Ruby could hear. "Ruby, I won't call the cops on you, promise." She nudged Blake.

"Fine, fine," Blake said, acquiescing.

"I don't know if I can trust you anymore," Ruby said, her vision growing red and hazy, all of her instincts screaming at her to shoot them and get it over with.

"Don't do this, Ruby," Yang pleaded.

Blake suddenly leapt forward, intent on disarming her, her faunus speed making her a blur as she shot across the room. In a shower of petals, Ruby vanished and reappeared behind her, her shotgun holstered again, one hand slamming down on her neck while her other hand grabbed her forearm, twisting it and pushing Blake to the floor.

Blake spat out a mouthful of carpet. "Yang, get her!"

Yang had a moment of doubt, but then made up her mind, seeing her lover on the floor. She flared her aura, fire exploding outwards from her, and dashed at Ruby. Ruby let go of Blake's arm, blocking Yang's first punch with her palm, but then Yang's other fiery fist slammed into her midsection, sending her flying back into one of the bunk beds, the ropes snapping and the bed crushing Ruby.

Blake rolled her head and cracked her neck as Yang helped her up. The bed suddenly burst apart, wood fragments and stuffing flying everywhere, the mattress springs bouncing across the room. Ruby jumped onto her feet, her aura flaring a dark red around her, her teeth bared in anger and her grey eyes coated in red, her sense of reason gone. _  
_

"Yang, we can't stop her without our weapons. I'll go get my blade, keep her busy!"

Yang nodded, crouching down and lowering her center of gravity.

Ruby sprung off of her heels at Yang, hands outstretched. She grabbed onto her shoulder even as Yang punched her rapidly in the stomach,  _one-two-one-two_ , her aura adding small bursts of fire to each punch. Ruby didn't let go, instead grabbing with both hands and squeezing. Yang gave out a little cry as her shoulder bone fractured, her flames flaring even brighter.

And then a ribbon was around her neck, strangling her. Ruby felt her vertebrae crack as Blake dragged her off of Yang, swinging her around and slamming her into the wall. A shower of petals, and Ruby was behind Blake again, a closed fist hammering into the side of her head. Blake stumbled and blurred across the room, and Ruby dashed again to follow her, chasing her around.

Finally, Blake stopped, exhausted, and began to swing her sword, predicting where Ruby would appear. Ruby stopped in front of Blake, and then the sword was swinging at Ruby's chest, and Ruby tried to block it by slapping down the flat of the blade with her palm. The sword angled down, barely slicing into Ruby's left leg, her aura blocking most of it, as she swiped at Blake's throat, her fingers ripping open her neck.

Blake moved back, clutching her throat, blood leaking out from the shallow wound as Ruby stumbled forward, intent on finishing her off. And then something punched into her head, her vision briefly flickering. Yang was back up, one arm held at an awkward angle but still functioning, grabbing Ruby's neck and punching her again in the head. Ruby tried to push her off but Yang never stopped, punching repeatedly, fire encircling her arm, as she dragged Ruby to the window.

Ruby slumped to the floor, dazed, as Yang opened up the window, picked her up by the neck, and and threw her out of it. Her traveling bag sailed out after her, the bag landing on Ruby with a grunt.

Yang's head poked out of the window, an angry expression on her face.

"Come back to your senses, Ruby, and leave before I really report you."

The window slammed shut.

The cool air swept over Ruby, the sun now setting, her numb skin barely tingling, as she idly wondered if anyone had heard them.

Yang was gone. Ruby had hurt Blake, and Yang would never forgive her for that. Alys was her only hope.

She stifled a sob as she picked herself up, her grief drowning any lingering rage. The minor injury on her leg stained her grey sweatpants red as she crept off the school boundaries, toward the Emerald Forest, toward Alys.

* * *

A knock sounded at the door, so Alys set down the dishes and wiped her hands on the towel.

"I'm coming," she sang.

She opened the door, an unexpected sight greeting her. A young girl was standing in front of her, barely taller than herself, having a pretty face with black-red hair. She held a bag, wearing a white sweatshirt with its hood pulled down, a hopeful expression on her face. Blood stained her sweatpants, a cut on her thigh.

"Do you need any help?" Alys immediately asked, seeing her bloody appearance.

The girl's face went pale. "A-alys? Don't you remember me?"

Alys shook her head. "I think I would remember someone as distinctive as you," she said slowly.

"I-I-" the girl choked up, at a loss for words.

"Why don't you come inside," Alys said, gently taking her hand. "We can talk in here and get everything sorted out."

Alys led the stunned girl to the coffee table, sitting down on the couch next to her. Her face was buried in her hands, tears trickling out from between her fingers.

"What's your name?" Alys asked, rubbing her back and trying to console her.

She felt the girl shiver. "Ruby," she whispered, "Ruby Rose."

Alys felt a tug at her mind, a brief image flickering into existence then fading.

"I feel like I should know you from somewhere," Alys said, hesitating.

Ruby looked up, her gray eyes staring into hers. "You should," she growled, and suddenly grabbed Alys.

"W-hat?" Alys squeaked out, Ruby's movement startling her.

Ruby ignored her protests, nuzzling her face in Alys' warm neck, planting a kiss on her soft skin. She felt Alys' body tremble, the little ears on her head twitching, her breaths becoming shallower, more rapid. Something told her to go further, to push her down, to violate her, to rip her head off...

Ruby let go of her, forcing those feelings down, unwilling to hurt Alys no matter what. She could take her time, let Alys learn to love her again, recreate their relationship.

Alys was flustered, confused by her own reaction.

Ruby interrupted her thoughts. "Why don't you remember anything, Alys?" she asked.

Alys shrugged, her cheeks still pink. "The doctors told me I had been in a coma, and that I had something called retrograde amnesia. I can't really remember anything from the past year or so, although some things are slowly coming back."

Ruby thought for a moment.

"Alys," she asked softly, "do you have a dress and cloak somewhere? It's red and black."

Alys nodded. "I didn't know who's it was, so I kept it in the closet. Is it yours?"

"I made it, while I was living here," Ruby answered.

"Wait just a second," Alys said, getting up.

She walked down the hallway, rummaging around the closet and pulling out a red and black bundle. It was surprisingly heavy, the clothes made from dense material. She handed it to Ruby, who reached out to receive it.

"Thank you," Ruby said, smiling, and Aly's heart stuttered, a memory trickling back.

And then another set of knocks came at the door, and Alys got up, a look of worship entering her eyes. "She's home," she breathed, getting up and running to the door.

And Ruby's world fell down around her as Weiss stepped in, sweeping Alys up and kissing her.

And Weiss broke off the kiss and looked at Ruby, shock entering her eyes.

"Get behind me," she told Alys, and stepped in front of her.

Weiss pulled out Myrtenaster, aiming it at Ruby, but all Ruby did was stare at Weiss, an understanding coming into her eyes.

"You did this," Ruby cried, tears leaking from her eyes. "You took her from me again."

In a blink and scattering of rose petals, she dashed in front of Weiss, grabbing the collar of her dress and lifting her up. Weiss reacted instinctively, stabbing her sword into Ruby's side, but Ruby ignored it, unfeeling. Alys let out a little gasp, reaching forward, but Weiss told her to stay back.

"How could you?" she demanded, shaking Weiss. "Why would you do this?"

Weiss shook her head. "Ruby, let's talk somewhere else, alright? Away from..."

Ruby looked around her, seeing the shocked and conflicted Alys staring at them, hands over her mouth. Ruby wanted to cry, wanted to tell her that she wasn't the bad guy, but there was nothing she could say that would convince her.

Another scattering of petals, and they were on the roof of the small cottage, Ruby still holding Weiss up.

"Ruby?" Weiss asked. "Can you let me down?"

Ruby instead slammed her into the tiles, bending down over her. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you," she breathed, her glistening teeth bared.

Weiss sucked a breath, the air having been knocked out of her.

"She fell into a coma, and I was there when she woke up," Weiss said. "I thought she died, I thought she couldn't be saved, but she lived and I was so happy. I stayed by her bedside for an entire week, and one night, she woke up."

She took another breath, gulping, reliving the memory.

"And she told me that she loved me," Weiss said, awe on her face. Ruby hated her expression, her words; she wanted to break her. But she held herself still and listened.

"She said that she loved me," Weiss repeated, "and she said that I was beautiful. She wanted to be with me forever, and who was I to stop her? I loved her back."

"I loved her too," Ruby said in a tight voice.

"But I thought you were gone," Weiss explained, "locked up forever in the Rogue camp. Alys needed someone, and she wanted to be with me, and so..." she trailed off.

Ruby let go of Weiss, sitting down next to her, resigned to the events that had occurred.

"I see," Ruby said.

Weiss got up, and they sat in silence for a few minutes, Weiss warily watching her.

Ruby finally spoke again. "I'm glad Alys found someone. She was always lonely, always by herself in this cottage," she said, standing up.

She wiped her cheeks, clearing away the last remnants of tears and love.

"It was good seeing you again," Ruby said in a sad voice. "If Alys remembers anything else, tell her that I forgive her, and tell her to just forget about me."

Weiss cautiously nodded, a hand still on her sword.

Ruby gave her one last broken smile, and jumped off of the roof. She stepped past Alys, who had been watching them speak, uncomprehending, and went inside to grab her bag.

Reappearing outside of the cottage, she looked back one more time, taking one last glance at Alys and what had been her home. And then she disappeared into the forest, rose petals scattering.

* * *

Weiss stepped down from the roof, landing softly on a glyph. She walked up to Alys, giving her a hug, checking her for injuries.

"Are you okay? Did she do anything?"

Alys shook her head, whispering a "no".

They went back inside. Alys was silent for the rest of the evening.

* * *

**Note:**

**Read, review, point out my mistakes, etc :D**

**I love reviews that analyze the story :)**

**Response to stein, about inconsistencies of characters and time and transition from a dark fic to a comical fic:**

**You raise very good points. I probably should have put a scene that showed them getting back up and stemming their wounds. It wasn't a span of just a few minutes, I really should have done an overall view of the mansion grounds, but the point is that Everest is an important official mansion area is HUGE. Like, really really big. Consider how far Ruby can throw things, so when I say she throws him far away, far enough so that Pyrrha's semblance can't affect her weapons, it's like really, really far away, into the gardens on the other side of the huge mansion grounds. In addition, I mentioned that there was a wide expanse of lawn between the mansion and the courtyard, and then I skipped past the part where Ruby takes quite awhile to walk across it, planning her attack. I probably should have put a segment for her thinking, and walking, for thousands of feet, across acres of the mansion. The lawn is large enough that Everest didn't even hear Nora's grenade explosions, Pyrrha's spear firing, Ren's double-palm strike, and Nora's hammer hitting Ruby again. And in addition, besides for the fact that Ruby does take awhile to walk across the gigantic lawn, they do recover quickly, being aura users. Nora hasn't been confirmed as being an aura user yet, so I tried to avoid mentioning her aura and instant have Jaune try to help her. The others, once the are conscious again, can recover their auras and immediately reinforce themselves, slowing the bleeding. The confirmed uses of Aura in the show include offensive capabilities, reinforcement capabilities, and then Jaune's (temporary?) healing abilities. Thus, the effect comes up instantly once Ruby slows their bleeding and wakes them up.**

**Oh, and maybe this chapter didn't make it that clear again, but hopefully me previous explanation did, but they aren't friends, per se, but more as though they have stopped considering Ruby as a threat and they can talk to her again. Remember, only team RWBY found Ruby at the scene of the crime, only they saw what she did in real-life view. JNPR only heard what she did through hearsay and rumors, and so they don't actually realize Ruby's threat. They instead are able to joke around with her again, once it seems that Ruby isn't going to kill all of them. Their friendship definitely isn't as high as before, as shown by Pyrrha's conversation with her, but she have definitely settled back into sort of "allies". They are young, and impressionable, and if they didn't see the actual scene of Ruby's crimes, they'll take their present perceptions and overlay their previous memories with them. Thus, the image of Ruby being a slightly emotionally disturbed young girl with a tragic past, but yet still friendly with them and not a threat anymore, is what they think of Ruby in their minds, and they are basically able to ignore anything they've heard about Ruby. Also, remember that Ruby is 2 years younger than all of her peers, due to her early acceptance to Beacon. I believe this is canon, and was explained by the show. Thus, they also have a sort of age-superiority that you've all probably experienced before, and they feel that they can fully understand the complexities of her situation, because as elders they should have a better understanding. This is shown in the way that they tease her about the person she likes, once along with the fact that they get along with her again. It is also shown in how Pyrrha' believes her after Ruby says that she wouldn't hurt anyone, even though it was obvious that Ruby was willing to hurt them to get what she wanted.**

**Everest also sort of falls into this trap, shown by his willingness to believe that her vendetta was purely against him. His loss of his son cemented the image in his mind that Ruby was out to get him, as his son was the only one she killed. Now that they have talked out their differences, and realized that they have both severely wounded each other, emotionally and physically, they can "agree to disagree" and thus remain at peace. Everest all sees the possibility of helping a young girl back onto the right path by pointing her at Alyss, who he knows she was involved with due to her living for weeks with her without killing Alys, and he also offers her to the opportunity to help out at the settlement. Everest also displays an assumption of authority, that he can resolve her problems as her elder, by shaking her hand, and not realizing how emotionally disturbed she still is. His single-minded focus on the fact that he has resolved his differences with Ruby means that he assumes that her troubles are over, now that they have talked with each other about how her parents died. In actuality, Ruby still has to mend her relationships with her other, adopted family, that Everest ignores. Yang is still against her, she's still conflicted about Alys, and Blake, who used to be a good teammate and a friend, still completely hates her for her faunus killing. Weiss also used to be her teammate, and she's also gone and betrayed her. Basically, Ruby's surrogate family, at Beacon and with Yang, has no been lost, and she is therefore still searching for somewhere to belong, once again. At this time, her emotions and dreams are completely crushed, and her view of the world is bleak, having lost Alys and pushed Yang and Blake even further. Now what will she do?**

**The main point, I think, is that no one truly understands her pain. Although that may sound cliched and "emo", that's one of the main points of the story, and one of the main reasons that Ruby acts in her ways. She seeks understanding, and when she can't get it, she tries to forcibly take it. JNPR thinks, "Oh, look, she's lost her family, she talked to the person who killed them, now she's fine right? Look, she's going back to Beacon to find love, and she said she won't hurt anyone." Ren believes this, shown by his "parents" comment, and it is evident that the rest of the team also believes this and has discussed this in private, evidenced by Nora's elbowing of Ren to get him to shut up. Except their belief is not true, because losing her family is only part of the equation that makes up Ruby's psyche, because she has to find another family after losing her real family, Yang's family, and Lily/Max's family. Blake thinks she has a sadist and ruthless, Weiss feels sorry for her but doesn't trust her and thinks she is a psychopath. The closest person to understanding her would probably be Yang, who understands her loss, after adopting her, but Yang is also incredibly emotional, demonstrated by her fiery aura and overreaction in fights, such as when she loses her hair, and so after Ruby injures someone she truly loves, she beats Ruby, something she has never done before, and is severely disappointed in her and basically outcasts her from her family, symbolically shown by throwing Ruby out of the window, out of their Dorm, out of Ruby's surrogate home at Beacon.**

**I'll probably go over this Act after I'm done with it, to correct a lot of these points and possibly add additional explaining scenes for when the show clarifies things more, before I can declare myself "finished' with an Act.**

**Thank you for your review, I will work to improve my story.**


	26. Ship

Ruby walked into the town, unseeing and unfeeling. She didn't know where to go, she didn't know what to do.

Her hood shadowed her face as she shuffled around, passing people and shops and nightclubs.

How did Max and Lily ask her to contact them again? A tablet? An address?

Ruby sure they were living their lives happily now, maybe as Hunters, or maybe just having a normal life, settling down in a city and adopting children and taking normal jobs.

They didn't need the chaos she brought with her, they didn't need her emotions. They didn't need her urge to kill every single person she passed by on the street.

She walked into an alley and sat down, setting her bag down next to her. She needed to think.

She vaguely remembered someone trying to mug her, but now he was lying on the ground next to her, bubbling sounds coming out of his torn throat as his entrails steamed in the night air. She ripped out his liver.

The man stopped breathing.

Ruby stood up a while later, the moon high in the sky. She would take up Everest's offer. She had nothing else, after all.

Eating the last scrap of liver, she wiped her hands on the towel she took from her bag and stood up. Stripping off her sweatpants, she swapped on a pair of jeans. She ripped off a strip of her ruined sweatpants, tying the fabric around her face, then pushed her hair back into her hood, covering her head.

She first stopped at a shop where tablets were on display. Looking around and making sure that the store's employees weren't paying attention, she plugged the plastic strip into a tablet, opening up the single file that was on it. A digital map opened up, displaying a large region of Vytal. A dot was over a continent, so she tapped on it, a bubble popping up and coordinates displaying. The location of the dot indicated that the outpost was in the Dragon Wings. Ruby realized that this was the place they had been planning to send her after her stay at Rogue camp was over. Then they had rescinded that decision.

 _Well, too bad,_ she thought,  _I'm going to go anyways._  She unplugged the strip of plastic, putting it back into her pocket, then selected a GPS-enabled, solar-powered tablet and brought it to the checkout. The bored teenager at the register didn't even glance at her as he swiped her lien and gave it back to her, placed the tablet in a white shopping bag, then went back to staring at his own tablet.

She left the shop and walked back to the general store she passed earlier, intent on picking up some supplies. She pushed open the door, the bells jingling, and entered the shop. The cashier stared at her, and Ruby realized that her mask probably looked a little suspicious, especially at this hour. She tried to give him a smile, her lips moving underneath the cloth and her face crinkling upwards, and the cashier relaxed a bit, still keeping an eye on her.

Ruby placed the straps of her bag around her shoulder and walked down the aisles, spending an hour looking for traveling supplies, thinking back on her camping trips with Yang. She grabbed a few rolls of steelsilk, a firestarting kit, extra fabric, vitamin supplements, which she doubted she would need but just in case, a sewing kit, a sleeping bag, canteens, extra dust for her tablet in case there wasn't any sunlight, and a physical map of the region with a compass as backup. Her arms overburdened, things dropping every other step, she also picked up a large backpack and stuffed everything inside.

The cashier raised an eyebrow as Ruby placed her things on the counter, the large backpack nearly obscuring her view of the register. Ruby took out her lien, handing it to him. The steelsilk was a little expensive but Ruby had inheritance money to burn, and she didn't really need to buy anything else anyways. The cashier frowned a little at the odd list of things she was buying, but since Ruby wasn't purchasing alcohol or weapons, he just shrugged and swiped her card.

Ruby mumbled a thank you and walked outside, taking a few minutes to organize her things and wear her backpack and travel bag comfortably. Pulling out her tablet, she slid the plastic strip back in and checked the map. She was on the edge of the Residential District, still close to Beacon, and also pretty close to the docks. Zooming in as much as possible, she got a general sense of her location and began walking towards the docks, hoping to make it there before the early-morning ships left.

Streetlamps lit the sidewalk as Ruby walked, the traffic on the roads nearly non-existent at this time of the night. Thoughts of Alys and Beacon and family came to her head, unbidden, but Ruby shoved them down and walled them up, slowly beginning to seal away her emotions of pain and bloodlust. Walking mindlessly, too numb to be exhausted, Ruby moved forward, silently, a large burden upon her back.

The sky had just started to fade to a light shade of blue as Ruby arrived. The docks were huge, hundreds of boats of all shapes and sizes and colors along the piers. Some of the boats were transport ships, going to and from other continents. Others were tourist ships, docked early in the morning and waiting for the passengers. Ruby walked down the docks, glancing at each signpost on the piers that stated where and when the ship was going. After an hour of trudging up and down the docks, the only ship she could find was a transport ship going to the tip of the lowest peninsula of the Dragon Wing.

Ruby pulled out her tablet and looked at her map again. The outpost was also located along the shore, but was further down the continent. The tip was an active tourist spot, but the cruise trips were slow and Ruby didn't have the patience to wait for one of them to come back from a trip. The cruise ships might also ask her for an ID, which Ruby couldn't give due to her fugitive status. She hoped that the transport ship wouldn't have heard any news about her yet.

The docks were still mostly deserted as she walked down the pier, the only people active being the sailors as they moored or undocked the ships. She hesitated upon reaching the docking platform, unsure whether to board or to wait at the pier and hope that someone came. The ship was a huge cargo ship, piled high with large shipping containers. The ship itself was close to the water and had a black and red hull.

The decision was made for her when a young man appeared at the side of the freighter, his soft black ringlets of hair framing his lightly freckled and tanned skin.

"Hey," he said, "What're you standing around here for?"

"I was wondering if I could get a ride," Ruby said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "I'm not really comfortable around people on tourist boats, so I was wondering if I could get a ride on your ship," she said half-truthfully. "I have money, so I can probably pay your asking price."

The young man stood there, the appearance of the mysterious girl with gray eyes intriguing him. She had a hood on her head, half her face obscured with a piece of fabric. Her small frame was dwarfed back the backpack on her bag, the weak morning light making her seem frail and in need. His heart stirred.

"It's not actually my ship," he said, "but I can bring you on board to talk with my father. Would that be alright?"

Ruby nodded, not looking directly at him.

"Come on up," he said. "Do you need any help?"

Ruby shook her head and began walking up the boarding platform, following him as he walked alongside her.

"My name's Derek," he said. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

He paused for a bit, his feet still walking but unsure of what to say next. He didn't want to pry too much, but this girl wasn't really talkative.

"So..." he began, searching for words, "I'm here with my dad, to get experience. He owns this ship and a shipping company."

Ruby finally spoke up. "How long have you been out at sea?"

A bit surprised, Derek answered. "It's been nearly two years; we've been traveling around the continents and we just stopped at Vale to drop off some cargo. After we go to the dragon wings, we'll go to..."

Ruby tuned out the rest of his words as he continued to talk, feeling a bit hopeful that they hadn't heard about her yet.

The ship's interior was decently large, Ruby passing through hallways that led to the library, reading rooms, dining halls, crew cabins, and the gym. The ship was modern, with white lights lighting up the interior and metal surfaces gleaming.

Turning down one last hallway, they arrived a metal door that simply said "Captain". Derek knocked twice and opened the door.

The office was big, a large wooden desk set in the middle of the room, bookshelves surrounding it on three sides. A weathered man set at the desk, his salt-and-pepper hair and beard showing his age. He looked up, glancing at his son and then staring at Ruby.

"Hello there, young lady," he said, standing up. "What do you need?"

"I brought her here because she said she wanted a ride," Derek said. "She said she could pay for it." He glanced at his father, pleading with his eyes.

The captain looked at Ruby, her face mask, hood, and backpack making an odd appearance.

"Do you mind taking off your hood?" he asked. "I can't tell what you look like."

Ruby took a breath, realizing that this would make or break the success of this idea. She slowly pulled down her hood, her black and red hair slipping out, cursing herself for not dying her hair. She slipped her face mask off too, to avoid them getting suspicious.

Derek's eyes were glued to her face as he realized that her hood and mask weren't hiding any physical abnormalities.

The captain nodded, seeing Ruby as just another girl to his eyes. "Well, I see no problem with accepting another passenger, as long as you can pay for the trip. A lot of people travel by freight, and we've got two other passengers on board, so you'll have some company."

Ruby smiled, relieved, and Derek's heart thumped a little harder.

"Do you have a name?" he asked. "I'll need to write you down in the register."

"Red," Ruby said without hesitation. "Red... Scarlett."

The captain chuckled. "What a name you have there, Red." He nodded to his son. "I'll have Derek here get you settled in your room. You can get food at the dining hall in the morning, at lunch, and at dinner. We leave the port in two days. See you around, Red."

Derek left the room and Ruby followed, shutting the door behind them. He led her down another hallway and into the guest suite section, a hallway with twelve doors, two of them having "occupied" signs on them. Derek stopped at the third one down the hallway and fished out a key ring, selecting the right one and opening the door.

The room was the size of a hotel room, with a bathroom section and a general section that included two beds, a cabinet between them and a set of curtains above them. Derek opened up the curtains, tying them to the sides and letting the morning light in.

"Here's your room," he said. "If you need anything, you can just walk around and find someone to ask."

"Thanks," Ruby said. "Do you know where I can wash my clothes?"

"We have laundry days, once every week. If you need to wash your clothes immediately, just walk around a bit, the laundry room should be pretty easy to find. The hallways on this ship are circular, so if you keep walking you'll eventually get somewhere."

"Alright," Ruby said.

She slid open the closet, taking off her backpack and stuffing it inside. Opening up her travel bag, she began taking out her clothes and stacking them on the shelves. Derek was still in the room, waiting for something.

"So, are you going to do anything today?" he asked. "We only dock once in awhile, so I usually take this time to go into town and have some fun. You wanna come?

Ruby declined, knowing that she would surely be recognized if she went out into the residential district of Vale. Derek looked a little disappointed, but nodded and left, shutting the door. She finished placing her clothes into the closet, leaving her weapon in the backpack.

Ruby sighed a bit, already bored, as she sat on the bed and flopped down, staring at the ceiling. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the tablet and began playing with it.

After wasting an hour reading the news and fiddling around on some games, she got up, trying to find something productive to do. Opening the door and walking down the hallway, she knocked on the first occupied door she saw, wondering if anyone was inside.

A few seconds later, a girl with glasses and a ponytail opened the door. Taller than her and well-proportioned, she had dark brown hair and nearly black eyes, a bored expression on her face as she continued speaking into the tablet.

"Yes, yes, alright mom. Yes, I'm keeping up with my studies. No, I'm not wasting time. Yes, I'm video conferencing my tutor every day."

She motioned for Ruby to sit onto the bed as she argued with her mother. "Yes, taking a freighter was a good decision, it's so much less crowded than an airship and it's a lot cheaper. We'll arrive in another few weeks. Alright, alright, yes, okay, okay, uh huh, alright bye." She flicked her fingers across the tablet, silencing the other end.

"Hey," she said, addressing Ruby. "Do you need help with something?"

Ruby looked around the room, the walls bare and nondescript, the only sign of residence being a pile of textbooks and sheets of paper stacked neatly on the desk, a lamp next to them.

"Sorry, I got a little bored," Ruby admitted. "I'm just walking around and talking to the other passengers."

"Yeah, I'm bored too," she said, setting her tablet down on the table and closing her textbooks. "Let's go grab some breakfast, it's almost eight."

They set out down the hallway, chatting as they circled the ship. Ruby learned that her name was Jessica, and that she was traveling abroad to study. She hated air traveling, having moved around way too much, so she managed to save up enough money to travel on a freighter. The dining hall was already filled with a few crew members when they arrived, the food being served buffet-style.

The two got plates and took a few pancakes, Ruby drizzling hers with syrup and canned strawberries. She grabbed a cup of milk, with Jessica getting coffee, and sat down at an empty table.

"So, enough about me. What do you do?" Jessica asked, spearing a pancake.

Ruby froze, her milk halfway to her mouth.

Jessica looked at her and shook her head. "That's fine, you don't need to say anything. I just like to talk a lot, that's all."

Ruby still felt a little bad, so she ventured a scrap of information. "Well, I used to go to Beacon," she said. "I'm taking an indefinite leave right now."

"Woah," Jessica said, eyes suddenly gleaming. "So you can fight and stuff?" She made hacking motions with her arms. "Beating back Grimm and saving humanity and all?"

Ruby smiled, Jessica's enthusiasm a little contagious. "I guess so," Ruby said, "But I'm nowhere near being a Hunter yet. I still have a lot of years of schooling left, and I don't have that much battle experience."

Jessica was unfazed. "But you can still fight, right? Do you think you could teach me something? I find Hunters so  _cool_ ," she said, drawing out the last word.

"Why don't you just go train to become a Hunter?" Ruby asked. "You never know what might happen; maybe you'd be great at it."

Jessica frowned a bit. "My family focuses a lot of academics," she explained. "They want me to get a good education and become something respectable, like a doctor or a lawyer. And besides, I'm a little too old now."

They continued eating, Jessica explaining what she was learning as they finished their pancakes off. Mid-way through, the other passenger joined them.

"Hey," Jessica said. "Just woke up?"

The new arrival ran a hand through his tawny-gold hair, yawning. He opened his emerald-green eyes, blinking sleepily. Trying to speak, he caught another yawn, his hand coming up and trying to stifle it.

"That's Mark," Jessica laughed. "He's a sleepyhead."

"Woah," Mark protested. "I'm just not a morning person, don't discriminate. I don't understand how you're not even tired."

Jessica took a sip of her coffee as an answer. "This is Red," Jessica said, introducing her. "She just got on."

"Hi, Mark," Ruby said. "What do you do around here?"

"I just sit in the library all day," Mark answered. "It gets pretty boring sometimes, glad to have you around."

Jessica slapped his shoulder. "Mark, stop being so humble." Turning to Ruby, she explained. "He actually spends all of his day drawing in the library. You should see some of his drawings, they're incredible. He keeps saying that he isn't an artist, but I completely disagree."

Mark looked a little abashed, grinning a bit. "I can draw you, if you'd like."

"That would be cool," Ruby said. "I'd love to watch you draw."

Mark nodded and yawned again. "I think I'm going to go take a nap," he said, getting up. "I might be in the library during the afternoon. See you later, Ruby, Jessica." Turning around, he stumbled off towards the exit, nearly colliding with one of the crew members.

"And I thought he was getting up early for once," Jessica muttered. She held her wrist up, glancing at the watch. "Dang, time passes fast. I have to go start my lessons now. Sorry, Red, we can totally meet up for lunch. How does twelve sound?"

"Sounds good to me," Ruby responded, picking up her empty plate. "See you then."

Jessica smiled and also picked up her plate, setting it down on the counter and striding quickly back towards her room. Ruby left her plate at the designated area and began walking around the hallways, searching for something to do.

* * *

**Note:**

**And that was this chapter. Yay, I can show more characters!**

**Sorry if this was a little dry, but Ruby is finally getting around and meeting new people! She's totally becoming a social butterfly, she's just a late bloomer, right? Haha.**

**Anyways, if you guys google for "vale rwby wiki", you'll be brought to a wiki page that shows a map of Vale. You could also search for a map of Vytal, the world of RWBY, and see the location of the Dragon wings I'm talking about. On the upper left area of the map, there is a pretty obvious dragon, with horns and wings. So, Ruby is heading towards the winged area, the lowest tip :)**

**Man, I'm so glad that the RWBY episode came out before this chapter. I mean, streetlamps were already confirmed in the trailers and in the concept art, but now they're actually in the show, along with docks and a boat. The episode also showed buildings, a police force, glass, and more dust shops, which is GREAT for the world-building. Wohoo! Can't wait for this Thursday's episode.**

**Response to guest saying that Ruby wins too easily, and thus the battles she wins isn't very satisfying:**

**Once again, thanks for your review.**

**I still feel that a large part of the problem is that Ruby has never yet met anyone who has more "natural" talent than her. She has the huge amount of power, and she doesn't know how to control, so all she can do is use the strength portion and just brute-force people down. She doesn't have anything against glyphs, Yang realizes she can just stun Ruby by punching her in the head, regardless of her strength, Ruby does get pushed of an Abyss after all and spends hours and hours recovering, Ruby wasn't even able to kill the nevermore she rode, and so forth.**

**The "random" people killings are the killings of murderers, threats against her lives, or people who stood in the way of her goals. When she encountered her former friends, she did indeed feel remorse for them due to their past friendships, and you can see after she spills her heart out to Lily and Max she truly does regret doing what she did. However, she did also entertain the idea of killing Jaune and his team members briefly due to the fact that she still isn't really right in the head, and this attitude is seen in her throughout the chapters.**

**You are right, she hasn't had a hard battle yet, not really, most of them have been one-sided. But Ruby hasn't experienced the world yet, and I have other things planned for her, so I hope the next part will correct some of those errors. In addition, a large theme of this story is that a lot of problems can't be solved through purely strength, that Ruby is going to have to learn some tact and skill.**

**Also, I'd like to say that I'm heavily influenced by the idea of an uber-strong, confident main lead, who solves problems with his/her powers while increasing his/her powers to ridiculous levels. I've seen this mostly in man-hwa(korean manga) along with superhero comic books(sort of?). I haven't overpowered Ruby to those levels, but I've definitely been influenced by them so I guess I don't really like giving Ruby that much trouble.**

**Of course you can change what I do with it. By giving me your comments, you can tell me where I've made errors and then I can correct them :)**

**Once again, thanks for your review, and I'll definitely be working to fix those points.**


	27. Settling In

Ruby walked around the hallways, greeting the few passing sailors with a smile and a nod. They usually smiled back, although one of them looked at her strangely. Most of the sailors were out taking advantage of the shore leave, so Ruby had yet to meet them all.

After taking in the entire ship and noting where all the places were, she walked back to her room to change her clothes. She had found a gym, so she decided that she would continue taking care of herself and training, just as Max and Lily would have wanted her to do.

Stripping off her sweatshirt, t-shirt, jeans, and shorts, she walked into the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. Her previous unmarred skin was marked again. There was a scar between her breasts, a vertical ridge right over her belly button, a mark on her shoulder blade, and two raised edges on her thigh. She sighed and turned away, going to her closet and grabbing a pair of black shorts and a tank top, putting them on.

She picked up the keys on the bedside table and left her room, locking the door. Quickly going through a routine of stretches, she limbered herself and jogged down the hallway, heading for the gym.

Only a few people were inside, most of them with earbuds or headphones on. Ruby wished she had bought a pair of headphones in town, but she didn't want to risk it now. Using a tiny bit of her natural aura, careful not to flare it, she loaded on a few hundred pounds for each exercise and went through squats, deadlifts, bench presses, shoulder presses, and so forth. A few people stared at her, but after seeing the tiny edge of aura around her they realized she was an aura user and moved on. Once done with her strength-building exercises, she ran on the treadmill, watching the clock.

At eleven-thirty, she stepped off of the treadmill and headed back to her room. Stripping off her clothes, she took a quick shower, then dressed in track pants and a t-shirt and went to go meet Jessica for lunch.

The food was once again served buffet-style, the dining hall having an excellent selection of dishes.

"The food gets good when we dock," Jessica mumbled through a mouthful. "Enjoy it while you can, they won't have the supplies to cook like this when we're out at sea."

Ruby nodded, also engrossed in the delicious food.

A few minutes of silent munching later, Jessica suddenly spoke.

"Teach me, Red," she said. "I want to learn how to fight, how to defend myself."

Ruby nodded. "Sure," she said. "When do you have time?"

"Well, my tutoring ends at around three, so maybe then?"

"Okay," Ruby said. "The first thing you should do is go work out, you know, use the gym."

Jessica paused. "What?"

"If you want to defend yourself, the best way to do so is through the activation of your aura," Ruby explained. "Auras usually only activate through talent, training, or willpower. Even if your aura is weak, your training will do a lot to help you learn how to fight and defend yourself. If you don't have the strength and speed, I can't really teach you anything."

"That sounds like an awful lot of time and effort," Jessica said. "Can't you teach me a few fighting moves?"

"Nope," Ruby said. "And that doesn't even make sense. The most I could teach you would be the things you would learn in a standard self-defense class."

"Well, how did you get strong?" Jessica asked.

"I trained from a really young age," Ruby said. "I was inspired by someone close to me to become a Huntress, so I trained long and hard. My uncle, Qrow, taught me how to fight, and through a combination of both these things I managed activate my aura."

"Wow," Jessica said. "Alright, I'll go work out. Will you come help me? I haven't done anything like that before." Jessica felt a little odd, asking someone as young as Ruby for help, but she recognized Ruby's experience.

Ruby smiled. "Sure. I won't go easy on you, promise."

"Something about working out?" Mark asked, sitting down next to them.

Jessica nodded. "Ruby's going to train me how to fight, and she said the first step will be hitting the weight room."

"Sounds good," Mark said, stuffing a piece of pork into his mouth. "Ruby, I'll be in the library after lunch. Wanna come?"

"Yup," Ruby said. "Is the library any good?"

"Yeah, there's a lot of good books, and anything you can't find you can usually download onto tablets."

Continuing their chatter, they finished up their lunches, Jessica heading back to her room while Mark led Ruby to the library.

Unlike the other rooms, the library had a set of double doors, thick and wooden. The doors swung open to reveal a large space, much unlike the cramped room Ruby had been expecting. The library was situated on the side of the ship, so one side of the wall was lined with large windows, each revealing the docks and shoreline of the residential district. The room was carpeted, comfortable chairs and little tables scattered throughout it. On the sides of the room were shelves of books, each one a wood and glass cabinet that was illuminated by an overhead light. The library overall was bright and well-lit, the sunlight entering the windows and scattering off the glass surfaces.

Mark headed off to one of the windows and Ruby followed him, noticing a large sheet of paper laid out on the desk next to it. Mark pulled a chair over and set it down next to the chair already there, sitting down and grabbing a charcoal pencil. Ruby sat down next to him, looking over what he was painting.

The paper spanned the desk, an outline of the docks already beginning to take place as Mark looked out the windows and sketched, the charcoal flying across the page.

"Wow," Ruby breathed. "How... how are you drawing so quickly?"

"Practice," Mark said, glancing out the window and then resuming his sketching. "I do one of these every time we dock. The rest are in my room as wall decorations."

Ruby watched for another half hour as the docks took shape and he began painting, peppering Mark with questions about all the places he had been to, where he had come from, and where he was going. He said he wasn't sure yet, and that he was traveling the world for fun. He had just graduated with an art degree, so he wanted to take the time to see the world before settling down.

It was one-thirty when he set down his brushes and looked at her. "Sorry for ignoring you, I just get really focused sometimes," he apologized.

Ruby placed her palms out in front of her, shaking her head. "No, no, that was really cool. It was fun watching you create something."

Mark smiled at her, his golden hair glinting in the sunlight and his emerald eyes gleaming. "I can draw you now, if you'd like."

He paused for a second, looking her up and down, humming. "This might sound a bit weird," he began, "but..."

"Yes?"

His cheeks flushed a little. "Do you want to do some nude modeling? Completely for artistic purposes, I swear. It'll be interesting."

Ruby was a little taken back. "Me?"

"There's something about you," Mark said, interested. "Something I don't really see in many humans. I mean, people in general. Your exterior is appealing, of course, but there's something inside of you..." He trailed off.

"Um," Ruby said, thinking. "Okay, I guess. I'll just sit somewhere and you'll paint me, right?"

"Great!" Mark exclaimed, clapping his hands. "Does your room have a window?"

"Yes?"

"Alright, let's do it there then."

Ruby stood up. Mark grabbed his brushes, pencils, canvas, and stand, following her to her room.

Upon arriving, Mark looked a little awkward. "Uh, I'll stay outside while you-"

Ruby interrupted him. "It's fine," she said, opening the door and stripping off her clothes quickly. She jumped onto the bed, bouncing.

"So, what do I do?" she asked with a grin.

"Just lie down on the bed. Sprawl, seem a little lazy."

Ruby stilled herself and lay down on the bed, repositioning her limbs.

"That's great, just hold still," Mark said, quickly setting down his stand. He placed his tools on the desk and set up the canvas, looking Ruby over.

Ruby's injuries stood out a bit, the raised edges visible in the sunlight.

"I don't mean to sound nosy, but how did you get those scars?" he asked, beginning to quickly sketch her outline.

"I've fought a lot of people," Ruby said quietly.

Nodding, Mark didn't ask any more questions as he continued to draw.

* * *

"Huh." Mark squinted a bit. "That came out a little odd."

Ruby looked at her picture. She was lounging on the bed, sun shining through the windows and the sunlight illuminating her pale skin. Her hair looked more black than red, and each of the imperfections on her skin was perfectly captured. Her pose looked a little relaxed and a little predatory, but the odd thing was the somehow sad expression on her face.

"Sorry," Mark said, reaching for the picture. "I don't know why you look so depressed. Let me try agai-"

"No," Ruby said, snatching up the picture. "This is perfect. Thank you."

Mark was a little confused, but smiled a bit. "No problem, Ruby. You were a really... fascinating subject."

Ruby suddenly thought of something. "Wait, what time is it?"

Mark looked up. "Uhh, the clock says three-o-eight."

"Oh crud," Ruby said, frantically putting her clothes back on. "I said I would meet Jessica at three."

"Have fun," Mark said, gathering up his supplies.

Ruby dashed out of the room, tugging her t-shirt down. Jessica's room was right next to her's, so she adjusted herself and knocked on the door.

"Coming!" came a shout from the inside. The door opened and Jessica stood in the doorway, dressed in a pair of workout shorts and a tank top that accentuated her chest. Ruby couldn't stop herself from ogling a bit before looking up into Jessica's face. Her hair was tied back in a pony tail and her glasses were still on, a nervous expression on her face.

"Is this fine?" she asked. "Is it okay if I wear glasses? I don't really like wearing contacts, they irritate my eyes."

Ruby nodded. "You're okay," she said. "Let's go."

Ruby spent the rest of the afternoon demonstrating what to do in the weight room and teaching Jessica what she could do by herself in between tutoring sessions.

Three hours later, Jessica stood there, sweating, muscles trembling, hands on her knees as she got off the treadmill.

"Red," she wheezed. "Do I... have to do this... every day?"

Ruby smiled a bit, nodding. "You'll get used to it, promise, and it might even start to feel good after awhile."

"I don't... feel too good... right now." Jessica gave up on standing and lay down on the floor, panting.

"Cmon," Ruby said, extending a hand. "Let's go get some food. You'll need to eat more, too, if you want to keep up."

"Shower... first," Jessica said, grasping her hand. "Can't let Mark... see me like this."

They walked back to Jessica's room, Ruby supporting her on her shoulder for a bit before she could walk on her own. Ruby wasn't tired, having spent most of the time teaching Jessica, so she waited for Jessica as she stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Jessica let out little sighs of pleasure as the hot water hit her exhausted muscles, and Ruby had to restrain herself from ripping open the door and joining her. Instead, she tried to take a nap on the bed, suppressing her desires and trying to think calming thoughts.

Ruby had dozed off, the sound of the bathroom door opening waking her up. She peeked with one eye, pretending to be asleep, as Jessica walked out of the bathroom in a thin towel, the strands of her dark brown hair reaching halfway down her back and dripping water. She let the towel slip as she opened up her closet and rummaged through, forcing Ruby to clench her hands against the bed, leaving indents, as Jessica dressed, squeezing her eyes closed and once again trying to think peaceful thoughts.

"Red, wake up," Jessica sang, not noticing the tension in Ruby's body. "Let's go."

Ruby opened her eyes, seeing Jessica wearing a white dress shirt and jeans, hair still a little wet. "We're not going to shore, are we?" Ruby asked.

Jessica laughed a little, shaking her head. "I'm usually quite nervous around people, so definitely not, no. We'll just eat in the dining hall, they'll probably have something good to eat."

The dining hall was full of people when they arrived, the crew members returning from their shore leave for a meal. The cooks had made steaks and seafood, with side dishes of all sorts of vegetables and desserts.

"I don't think sailors usually come back to the boat to eat," Jessica said, "But they told me that last year the captain hired a few dedicated cooks. A lot of sailors signed up after that, so it was worthwhile in the end."

As they brought their food back to the tables, Ruby took a good glance at the crew members. There were about thirty in the dining hall, and a good portion of them were women. She saw a few faunus talking with the crew members and interacting with them normally.

Jessica saw her looking at them. "Yeah, I've noticed that everyone gets along pretty well on this ship. They're going to be out at sea for long journeys, so it would make sense for them to be able to work together."

"What's your opinion on the faunus?" Ruby asked, curious.

Jessica sat down at an empty table and Ruby followed suit.

"Where I come from, there aren't many faunus," Jessica explained. "So I don't really have an opinion about them. I'd have to say though, some of their little ears are really cute."

Ruby grinned. "I completely agree," she said, biting into her steak. "Does Mark usually come down for dinner?"

"Sometimes," Jessica said, shrugging. "Other times, I think he forgets to eat while he's drawing. Or he might just be asleep."

A while later, Ruby noticed that some of the sailors had pulled out cards and gathered in at a table, playing poker.

"Want to join them?" Ruby asked. "There isn't really anything to do right now."

Jessica shook her head. "You can go if you want, Red, but like I said, I'm not really a people person."

"That's okay," Ruby said. "Are we allowed to go above decks?"

"You can't be in the cargo area, because it's too dangerous, but there is a small section we can go to. It's raised into the air and you can usually get a good view from up there."

"That would be nice," Ruby said. "And then we could go back to your room and play cards by ourselves or something."

"I have some cool tablet games too, and we could play together," Jessica ventured. "It would be nice to finally have someone to play with. Mark doesn't play tablet games and he's usually gone when we're docked."

Plans made, they finished their dinner and walked into the hallway, trying to find the passage that led above deck. They were interrupted when Derek stumbled into them, more than a little drunk. He sprawled onto the floor, unable to get up.

"Hey Red," he slurred. "I think I drank a little too much."

Ruby and Jessica stared at him. "Do you think I should get the captain?" Ruby asked.

"No!" Derek exclaimed. "Please don't tell Dad," he mumbled. "He'll be so angry."

"He's a big boy, he can take care of himself," Jessica said, frowning in disapproval. "Let's just get him to his room."

They pulled him up, half-carrying him as they walked him over to his room, following his drunken instructions. His cabin was in the crew hallways, which were deserted, the crew members currently at dinner. Letting him fumble at the door for a minute, Jessica sighed and grabbed the keys from his hand, turning them around and entering them the right way.

Ruby went inside first, intent on setting him down on the bed, when Derek suddenly stood up, staggering back to the door and slamming it shut, locking it.

"Hey!" Jessica yelled, still on the outside.

Derek spun around, suddenly looking a lot less drunk than before. Surprising Ruby, he walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders, pressing her against the wall.

"You're so pretty, Red," he said, staring into her eyes. "I want you so much."

Ruby could smell the alcohol on his breath. "I think you're a little drunk, Derek."

"Are you okay in there, Red?" Jessica asked worriedly, her voice muffled by the thick metal door.

"I'm fine, I can take care of myself!" Ruby yelled, ignoring Derek and reassuring Jessica. "Get off of me, Derek, or I'll-"

He interrupted her with a deep kiss, his tongue probing into her mouth. Ruby was surprised but enjoyed the sensation, the stubble along his jaw scraping into her skin. He began fondling her and slipped a hand down her pants, grabbing her bottom.

Something growled inside of Ruby and she broke off his kiss, flustered, pushing him back and dragging him onto his bed.

"Get a hold of yourself, Derek," she said, slapping him gently.

He stared at her in shock, his mouth opening a little as he realized what he had done.

"Oh god, Red, I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me," he blurted, tripping over his own words. He tried to get up, but Ruby pushed him back onto the bed.

Ruby shook her head. "It's alright, Derek, we can talk tomorrow. Just stay out of the hallways and get some rest before someone sees you like this."

Derek nodded a little, his eyes still wide as Ruby straightened her clothes and opened the door. Jessica nearly fell inside, having been trying to break in.

"Are you alright?" she asked, looking over Ruby. "Did he hurt you?"

"I'm okay," Ruby said, closing the door gently. "I think I've had enough excitement for tonight. Let's go back to your room."

"I don't think I've ever seen him like that before," Jessica said, disturbed.

"So he doesn't usually come back drunk?" Ruby asked as they walked down the hallway.

"Well, sometimes he drinks when we go to shore, but he's never gotten that drunk. He's the captain's son but he's also a crew member, so I don't talk to him that much."

Mark was waiting outside their room when they got back, hands in his pockets. He noticed them arriving and smiled, waving.

"Red and I were going to play some cards," Jessica said, pulling out a key and unlocking the door. "Would you like to join us?"

"Sounds good," Mark said. "It gets a little lonely in the library sometimes."

They entered the room, sitting down on the bed and Jessica pulling out a pack of cards. Ruby settled in, glad to have made friends. They played late into the night, Ruby eventually falling asleep on one of the beds as the two kept talking.

* * *

**Note:**

**Another chapter, sorry for once again being a little dry, but you might notice I'm setting some things up and building a routine.**

**I see that some of you have been asking about Ruby's behavior now. I'd say that Ruby has definitely learned a lesson, that she has to keep a tight leash on her emotions if she wants to stop alienating people. Previously, at camp and at subsequent places, she just let it have free reign, whenever she needed something she just went to Julie or killed someone. She always gave in, and only Lily and Max's support helped dampen it a little.**

**But now, as stated in the last chapter, she's learned a lesson. She consciously tries to suppress her emotions, resisting, and actually tries to push it down now. After seeing the destruction she's caused, the chaos she's created, in Yang/Weiss/Alyss/Blake's lives, she sees her potential for destruction and doesn't want to wish it upon Max and Lily. She's finally matured a bit, although it's a little late. So now, she has the opportunity to restart, and she will do her best, once again, not to ruin it.**

**I like character development, and I don't really want Ruby to stay childish and impulsive forever. The light is fading, the dark returns, and everyone needs to grow up if they want to survive.**


	28. Attack

Ruby woke up, the sun shining through the open curtains. Jessica was sprawled on the bed next to her, fully clothed, snoring softly, and Mark was gone.

The tablet on her desk was beeping a little and vibrating, so Ruby got up and walked over to Jessica, shaking her shoulder.

"Jessica, I think someone's trying to call you," Ruby said.

Jessica's eyes opened immediately. "What time is it?" she asked frantically, sitting up and straightening out her hair.

Ruby glanced at the clock. "It's nine."

Jessica scrambled off of the bed, reaching for the tablet and swiping it open.

"Hello, yes, I'm here," she said hurriedly into the tablet.

A man in a suit with glasses appeared on the screen, frowning. "Jessica, why didn't you pick up?"

"I was sleeping, sorry," Jessica said, grabbing her textbook and spreading it open. "I'm ready now."

Ruby sneaked out of the room as Jessica began her lessons. Walking down the hallways, she went to go check on Derek. Most of the sailors had gone out during the night and come back late, so only a few were up and about. Ruby tried Derek's door and found it unlocked, so she went in.

Derek was in the bathroom in his boxers, shaving, nicking himself when he saw Ruby appear.

"Red, you can't just come in like that!" Derek said, splashing water on his face and washing away the rest of the lather.

"Sorry, the door was unlocked," Ruby said, standing in the doorway.

Derek wiped his face with a towel and sighed. "Sorry about last night, Red. That was highly inappropriate of me, especially as the captain's son."

"That's alright," Ruby said. "But do you actually like me?"

"Uh," Derek said, shocked. "Yes, I do, but with last night's-"

"Shh," Ruby said, walking up to him and hugging him, his bare chest warm against her. "Thanks for getting me onto the ship. If you really like me, we can try it out, see how it goes."

"Definitely," Derek said, his voice still almost disbelieving. "Are you free right now?"

"Not really," Ruby said, tiptoeing and kissing his smooth jaw, wiping away the drop of blood from the small wound and resisting the urge to lick it off of her finger. "I need to go work out first, but we can have lunch together."

"Okay," Derek said. His face was a little red. "Uh, I need to go put on some clothes."

Ruby chuckled a little at Derek's discomfort and left, shutting the door behind her. Going back to her room, she cleaned herself up and went to the gym.

* * *

Ruby spent the morning working out, and then had lunch with Jessica, Mark, and Derek, introducing him. Jessica was a little suprised, but Derek talked to them during lunch and apologized again, eventually earning their trust by the end of lunch. Derek showed Ruby around the entire ship that afternoon, walking and talking with her. The three had dinner together, with Mark gone off somewhere again. At night, Derek brought out some board games that he had taken on board with him, the three of them playing together and eventually being joined by Mark.

The next morning, the ship left the docks. The captain did a final check to make sure that all the crew members were on board, then collected payment from Ruby.

The next few days were spent like this, Ruby falling into a routine to alleviate her boredom. She spent her mornings working out, eating meals with Derek and talking with him, and spent part of her day with Mark and Jessica, reading in the library and training Jessica. She spent the nights with Derek, talking and kissing, but Derek never asked for anything more, which was good because Ruby still didn't know if she could trust herself.

It seemed that her days on the ship would be peaceful, a time during which she could relax and recuperate.

The captain made one last stop before going into the open stretch of sea between their current location and the lowest tip of the Dragon Wing. They were passing by the tip of another continent, and the captain wanted to resupply and refuel before departing again.

A few miles from the coastline, at dawn, the pirates attacked.

A fleet of small speedboats bearing the insignia of the White Fang sped towards the cargo ship, the lumbering freighter unable to outrun the nimble motorboats. The three passengers were notified and told to remain below deck as the crew members manned their battle stations. When the pirates got into range, dozens of ports on the side of the boat opened up and began firing, dust explosions slamming into the water.

The first shots were just warning shots, but after the pirates began to return fire, the crew started aiming for the little boats. However, when a sinking seemed inevitable, the small boats either barely managed to dodge the blast or the faunus nimbly leaped off of them and landed onto another nearby boat. The hull collected dents as the pirates relentlessly fired back, the thick windows on the ship cracking a bit under the dust explosions.

Soon, the pirates were too close for the dust cannons, only a few of their ships having been taken out. They threw grappling hooks, easily climbing up the ropes and boarding the ship. Each of them wore metal masks, some with hoods, and metal armor, also bearing the White Fang symbol. A few of them ran off into the cargo section, searching out crates and beginning to unfasten them, a hoverjet flying over the plane. The others headed below decks, seeking control of the ship and looking to take hostages.

* * *

Ruby was peeking out of the window, watching was going on. The three of them were in Jessica's room, Mark looking a bit frustrated as he sat cross-legged on the bed, and Jessica sitting down in the chair, her back straight and twitching a bit every time she heard an explosion.

"Uh oh, the pirates are boarding," Ruby said. "I see about fifty people climbing on board."

"We need to do something," Mark said, suddenly standing on the floor in a blur of movement. "We can't just let the White Fang take what they want."

Jessica shook her head, hands visibly shaking. "I-I say we just let them have what want. I d-don't think our lives are worth some shipping containers."

"But what if they're here to steal dust?" Mark asked. "I'm pretty sure I saw some Schnee dust containers on the cargo deck. If they take it, they'll use it for even more destruction. And besides, they hate humans. Why would they let our crew live?"

"Well, we do have a few faunus," Ruby said, thinking. "Maybe we could work out a compromise?"

Mark looked a little angry. "Red, not all faunus are the same. A lot of them actually oppose the White Fang. In fact, the White Fang are just a minority group that takes the most violent actions that are remembered and reported by the media. They wouldn't be opposed to killing any faunus that got in their way."

There was a large explosion, and the floor shook. Ruby and Mark looked at each other, then ran out of the room, both of them telling Jessica to stay put and to lock the door.

The hallway was filled with a light haze of smoke. Ruby looked down the hallway and saw some sailors running towards them, some of them injured and being supported by others.

"Run!" one of them shouted. "They threw dust bombs down the stairwell-"

There was another explosion, and the floor shook again, the sailor falling to his knees and then struggling back up.

"We'll go into the passenger hallway and seal the entrance," he explained, running past them.

Ruby and Mark ran forward, helping the injured sailors move into the passenger section. Once they had all gotten in, one of the sailors reached up and grabbed onto two handles, pulling downwards and slamming a descending hatch shut. The cramped hallway was filled with the sounds of panicked breathing, the crew members temporarily safe.

"Is everyone all right?" the captain asked, having made it in there with them.

Most of the sailors mumbled an agreement, the most serious injury being a man with a broken leg and arm. However, most of them had minor injuries, having been caught in the edges of the dust explosion.

Derek stumbled out of the crowd of soldiers, one arm bloody, running up and hugging Ruby. "Glad you're safe," he mumbled, stroking her hair.

Ruby hugged him back. "Are you okay?" she asked, peeling his sleeve back and exposing his forearm.

A piece of metal glinted in his skin, and Ruby pulled it out, blood gushing from the wound. Ignoring the sweet, metallic smell, she ripped off the edge of her t-shirt and bound the wound, stemming the blood flow.

"Thanks," Derek whispered, and slumped down to the floor, delirious with pain.

"Open up!" a deep voice suddenly shouted. "Open, or we will open the hatch with force."

The captain glanced at the sailors, looking for an opinion. "What are you going to do with us?" he shouted back.

"You'll be prisoners," said the voice. "But if you don't open the hatch, you'll all just be dead."

Ruby stood up, along with Mark. "I think they're going to kill us anyways," Mark said bluntly. "The white fang doesn't leave people to talk about them. Does anyone want to fight with us?"

A few of the relatively uninjured sailors stood up, nodding, pulling out pistols that had long blades attached.

"Can I get one of those?" Ruby asked, pointing at the weapons.

Most of the sailors had seen her in the weight room, so they trusted her to know how to fight, tossing her a spare pistol and two clips of ammo. Ruby slipped them into her pocket and took the safety off of her gun.

And then the doors exploded open, metal shrapnel flying through the room and hitting the crew members. Ruby felt a piece lodge into her side, but she immediately ripped it out, raising her pistol and firing at the faunus who were swarming into the room.

Most of the pirates had some form of sword and gun, some of them duel wielding. Others had metal pipes that fired dust, and a few had knuckledusters, wearing metal armbands. Each of Ruby's shots were deflected, a sword or shield coming up and blocking the Dust bullets, the faunus rapidly closing the distance with their superhuman speed.

A faunus with feathers in his hair suddenly slammed into her, his sword coming down towards her head. Ruby barely managed to dodge it, a few strands of hair being cut off, and thrust her blade at him, catching his thigh as he backed up, frowning. Pulling out a dust crystal from his pocket, her threw it at Ruby and fired, the dust igniting in mid-air and exploding, flinging Ruby back.

Disoriented, she watched as the sailors around her went down, the sheer numbers of pirates overpowering them. She slowly got back up, steadying herself with a hand against the wall. Looking around for Mark, she saw him dancing with two faunus, his blade flashing impossibly fast as he parried his attackers, managing to land a few cuts on them.

Ruby ran towards them, pivoting and jumping, smashing one of them into the wall with a flying kick. The other faunus was briefly surprised, and Mark took advantage of that, stabbing him in the arm and smashing a knee into his face, dropping him.

And then they were surrounded. The rest of the sailors had already gone down, and the faunus closed in on the two, Mark and Ruby standing back to back. The dashed forward, trying to break through the line, but the pirates were disciplined, firing the moment they approached

Ruby felt her aura weaken greatly as the dozens of Dust bullets slammed into her, but she pressed on, slashing at the nearest pirate with her blade. The faunus deflected it and slammed his fist into her arm, a sickening crack sounding out as her elbow snapped and her arm flopped loosely. Ruby punched forward with her other arm, but the faunus caught her fist, lightning-fast, and rotated her arm, forcing her to follow his movements as he flipped her over and snapped her arm back, dislocating her shoulder, and gave her a kick in the ribs. Ruby felt her bones shatter, her aura unable to block the direct force, and flew back, rolling and gasping.

Both of her arms useless, she craned her neck and looked up, seeing Mark also being kicked at and tied down, his weapon confiscated. The sailors had all been captured by this point, being rounded up and bound together with chains, back to back. The White Fang didn't discriminate between the faunus and humans, treating them equally and tying them together.

There was a screaming sound as a bulky bear faunus manhandled a struggling Jessica from her room. Jessica tried to use her training, landing a headbutt on the bear faunus' chin, but he merely gave a little grunt and smacked her in the head, knocking her unconscious. He threw her onto the ground, next to Ruby, and tied the two together by their throats.

"Good job, boys," he said gruffly, standing back up. He pointed at a few of the pirates. "Go see if they need any help securing the cargo, the hoverjets need to pick the Dust up and leave immediately."

He turned back to the bound crew members and the three passengers. "So, good news or bad news first?" he asked mockingly.

One of the crew members tried to spit at him, but instead got a kick in the side. He curled up, coughing.

"Alright then," the bear faunus said. "Good news is, we're also heading for the Dragon Wing, so you'll be getting to where you want to go."

He paused for effect.

"Bad news is, you're all hostages!" he said, chuckling at his own joke. The pirates laughed uproariously.

He clapped his hands, silencing them. "Take the hostages and store them in the passenger rooms," he instructed. "Put the engines to max speed, we're going to get there as fast as possible."

Ruby felt herself being being lifted up, feeling a little discomfort as her ribs shifted around and her arms flopped uselessly. A faunus placed her onto his shoulder, Jessica on his other shoulder, hauling them like a sack of potatoes. They were carried into one of the passenger rooms and thrown onto the bed. Another two sailors joined them, one of them a female cat faunus and the other one just a normal human female. The guard left the room and shut the door, locking it from the outside.

Ignoring her injuries, Ruby used her legs and rolled herself up, looking around. Jessica was still unconscious, attached to her with a thick metal chain. The two other female sailors looked a little disoriented, the faunus sailor with blood dripping down her arm, the other one looking slightly concussed.

Ruby walked over to the window and began kicking it, her sneakers slamming into it with loud thuds. The cat faunus looked up, shaking her head.

"Those windows are reinforced glass," she said, "And all that's out there is the ocean."

"The shoreline's only a few miles away," Ruby answered, continuing her kicking. "I think I can swim that distance and get help."

Hairline fractures began to appear, and the faunus' eyes widened.

And then the door opened and hands picked her up, throwing her onto the floor and away from the window. Ruby felt something in her back break. The pirate picked her up again by the chain around her neck, strangling her, as he shouting that future escape attempts would be severely punished. Ruby could only manage to nod, her vision fading, as he dumped her on the bed and wrapped her chain around the bedpost, securing it with a lock. Then he left the room and Ruby was left alone again, the two other women staring at her, frightened.

Ruby lay there, taking a few deep breaths. Scooting back, she propped herself up against the wall.

"Can one of you help me push my arm back in and set my other arm?" she asked.

They looked at each other and both stood up, a collar connecting them, and walked over to Ruby.

"Do don't that again, okay?" the human asked. "We can't let them get angry at us. I know you want to fight, but its useless."

"Brace yourself," the faunus female said. There was a popping sensation as Ruby's shoulder joint was put back in.

"Thanks," Ruby said, rotating her shoulder.

She propped herself up and grabbed the small table by the bed, picking it up with one arm and snapping the thin leg off of it along with a piece of the wood, resulting a chunk with a ninety-degree angle.

"Can you guys make me a splint with this? To set my elbow?"

The faunus nodded, tearing up strips of the bedsheets and setting her elbow bones back together, placing her arm into the makeshift split and securing it to her shoulder. Ruby leaned back with a sigh of relief.

"So, what are your names?" the human asked, speaking up. "We're going to be here for awhile, so we should probably get to know each other."

She brushed her hair back, rubbing her head. "I'll go first. I'm Cynthia." She pointed at Ruby. "You're Red, right? I've seen you on the ship a couple of times."

Ruby nodded, looking at Cynthia. She had short pale blonde hair, almost white, cut to regulations, with light blue eyes and soft features.

"I'm Diane," the cat faunus said. She had caramel skin and strong features, framed with short black hair. Her eyes were a shining yellow-green, her arms sinewy and muscled.

"Nice to meet you," Ruby said. "Sort of, but not really."

Diana almost smiled, while Cynthia still looked worried.

Ruby pointed at Jessica, who was beginning to move a bit. "That's Jessica."

"What do you think they'll with us?" Cynthia asked, nervous.

Diane frowned. "They put four pretty women in a room, what the hell do you think they want to do with us?"

Cynthia gulped, her imagination taking over for her.

"Red?" Jessica asked, her eyes blinking. "What happened?"

"They beat us, Jessica," Ruby said. "All of the crew members got captured and were put into the passenger rooms."

Jessica slowly got up, looking around her and rubbing her head. "Ow," she complained, "That man punched me."

"Well, you were screaming a lot," Ruby said, grinning. Jessica gave her a tentative smile. "That's Diane, and that's Cynthia."

Diane nodded at her while Cynthia didn't look up, still lost in her thoughts.

Ruby picked up the rest of the table and smashed it into pieces, picking up the sharp splinters of wood. "I think we need a plan."

Diane held her hand out and Ruby tossed her a few of the wooden stakes. "We should fight back," Diane declared.

"We shouldn't," Cynthia mumbled. "There's too many of them; we can't take them on all by ourselves."

"Cynthia is right," Jessica said slowly. "We're just going to die if we attack them."

"So we just let them do whatever they want to us?" Diane demanded, angry. "I say we go out fighting."

Cynthia looked at her. "Maybe you'll live, since you're a faunus."

Diane shook her head. "No, they consider me as an enemy because I live with humans and work with humans."

Cynthia sighed.

Ruby nudged Jessica. "So, what do you think? Wanna go out in a blaze of glory?"

"I don't think that'll be a very bright blaze, Red," Jessica said, "But I guess it's better than the alternative."

"You in, Cynthia?" Diane asked, standing up and stretching. "I can't really fight if you're still chained to me."

"Wait, I have an idea," Ruby said, ripping her t-shirt off.

Diane raised an eyebrow. "What, you're gonna distract them with your lady bits?"

Ruby laughed at that, stuffing the shirt into the space between the collar and her neck. Shaking her head, she pulled her chain up and threaded it between her collar and neck, the t-shirt on the other side. Holding the two sides of the chain in her fist, she began pulling, the thin metal collar groaning. The t-shirt protected her from the worst of the bruises as the collar pressed uncomfortably against her neck.

With a snap, the metal stretched too far and broke apart. Ruby grasped the broken edges and bent the collar straight, taking it off of her neck.

"Woah," Diane said, impressed. "Do it for me?"

Ruby nodded and repeated the process for all of them, ending up with two long chains.

"Give me the two chains," Cynthia said, resigned. "I think I can use them. Just like a whip, right?"

Ruby gave her the metal leashes. Cynthia stood up, stretching out her arms, and flicked the chains around her, the metal whistling through the air.

"I'm pretty sure we're all succumbing to mob mentality," Jessica said, "But weirdly enough, I think I feel better now."

Ruby grinned, baring her sharp teeth. "You'd have made a great warrior."

Moving to the bed, Ruby carefully broke it into pieces, slamming her hand down at each joint and taking it apart. She handed Jessica the resulting pieces of jagged wood.

Taking positions and surrounding the door, they waited for the pirates to come.

* * *

**Note:**

**So as I'm writing this note I just watched the new episode, and holy fucking shit it amazing omgf askdjf;ladskjfasklfj**

**I'm so glad I'm letting this story develop a bit slowly, I need to definitely put those people in, but I probably won't shove them in anytime soon, because I have the perfect place where they fit**

**Anyways, Roman Torchwick can actually fight, we get to see Cinder(fire lady from first ep) and then her two companions, so I will definitely be letting the RWBY world develop some more before including them. Yeah, Roman gets to be in this now because he has sick moves with his freaking pimp staff.**

**I swear I planned the pirates out before the episode happened, but I couldn't resist using their uniform styles and their weapons. I think these raiders are quite a bit more competent than the grunts on the show, though.**

**Don't know if I'll revisit the camp, if I have time to write short stories maybe.**

**Read, review, comment, and so forth. Message me if you have anything to say :)**


	29. Ordeal

They didn't have to wait long.

Thirty minutes later, Ruby heard the sound of voices coming down the hallway and perked up.

"Some of them are getting close," Ruby said. "I think they're coming back from somewhere."

Diane nodded, while Cynthia clutched her chains even tighter. Jessica looked a little sick, holding her long shards of wood.

They could here the pirates loudly talking through the door now, boasting about what they would do to the girls in the room.

"I think I'm going to throw up," Jessica said.

Ruby elbowed her. "Shh."

The door creaked open, the hallway lights spilling inside. One of pirates eagerly walked in, looking around for the girls. Cynthia's chain hit his face and his head deformed, a sickening cracking as his brains were spread all over the wall.

"The fuck?" one of his companions exclaimed, running in.

He met a similar fate as Cynthia swung again, smashing the other chain into his head and knocking him to the floor.

And then two more ran in, firing weapons, forcing Cynthia to swing the chains back and block the Dust bullets. Ruby leaped forward out of the bathroom with Diane, both of them slamming pieces of wood into the pirates' necks and chests.

"That's four," Diane said, grinning.

They dragged the bodies into the room, shutting the door again. Ruby pulled jagged pieces of wood back out and handed them to Diane, taking up positions at the entrance.

A few more footsteps lined up outside of the door.

"Hey, you guys okay in there?" came a voice. "Say something, or else we're coming in."

The door suddenly broke down, a large ram faunus charging his way through. Cynthia was caught by surprise as the door slammed into her, sending her flying across the room and slamming into one of the windows, her arms and legs bending awkwardly underneath her. An avian faunus and a wolf faunus burst in, following the ram and engaging Diane and Ruby. Jessica stood in the back of the bathroom, unsure of what to do as they started fighting.

The two faunus had rifles that doubled as batons, swinging and firing alternatively. Diane spun her pieces of wood, deflecting the batons and the bullets, but the wood was fragile and shattered into pieces as wolf faunus continued firing.

Ruby had engaged the avian faunus, recognizing him by the colors of the feathers in his hair as the one who had exploded a dust crystal on her. Instead of deflecting the baton, she slammed her shoulder into him, ignoring the frantic hits against her back, and grabbed his arm, ripping it off with her good hand. She threw the limb at the wolf faunus Diane was fighting, the mass of flash hitting his head. He stumbled a bit, and Diane slammed the shard of wood into his heart.

Looking back at the screaming avian underneath her, she took a cue from Ren and slammed her palm into his throat at an angle, ripping through the flesh and shattering his neck bones, his head flying off and bouncing against the wall.

Jessica screamed.

Ruby looked up, seeing Cynthia desperately trying to defend as the ram faunus slammed the door into her repeatedly.

"Jessica, go help her!" Ruby shouted, grabbing Jessica and throwing her at the ram faunus.

Jessica stumbled, but turned her momentum into a spinning kick and slammed her foot into the ram's shin. He howled, letting go of the door and clutching his foot. Cynthia rolled out from under the door and snapped out her chain, wrapping it around his ankle and pulling. The ram faunus slipped and fell forward, where Jessica slammed one of her stakes into his eye. The ram stopped screaming.

"Uh," was all Jessica could say before she went to the corner and threw up.

Ruby walked over to her, patting her on the back. "Great job, Jessica," she said, smiling.

Diane helped Cynthia up, complementing her on her skill with the chains. Cynthia gave her a shaky grin.

"And that's seven down," Diane said, picking up the batons and handing one to Ruby. "This is going better than I expected."

They searched the faunus' pockets, taking out small clips of ammo that they reloaded into the batons and putting the rest into their own pockets.

"Get ready," Ruby said, her ears perking up. "I think they heard us."

Sounds of running boots came down the hallway, and a fox-eared faunus appeared in the doorway. Ruby and Diane instantly shot him in the face, and he stumbled and fell to his knees, collapsing face down on the floor.

"Oh? So the little ladies killed some of my soldiers, huh?"

The bear faunus stepped into the doorway, and Ruby and Diane opened fire. His pale yellow aura flared around him, the dust bullets merely making him grunt. "I think you should stop resisting, before anything really bad happens," he said, slowly moving forward.

Before Ruby could rush him, his armguard suddenly expanded, forming a gigantic shield that slammed into the ground and almost completely sealed the entire hallway. He continued to advance, the bullets harmlessly bouncing off of the shield. Pirates began to fill the space behind him as the four of them backed up into the living area, unable to damage the shield. Ruby ran forward and tried pushing against it, but it only paused for a second before Ruby was forced to take a step back.

And then the shield refolded and eight pirates stood behind the bear, crammed into the room, leveling rifles and grenade launchers at them.

"Stand down," the bear said. "I can take care of this."

Ruby and Diane charged together, stopping right before him and bringing the batons down towards his head. Moving faster than a man of his bulk should be able to, he ducked down and expanded his shield again, slamming it into the two and crushing them into the wall, the gigantic shield completely pinning them down.

The pressure let up for a second, then the bear faunus slammed the shield down again, repeating the process a few more times until Diane fell to the floor, unconscious from the blows and Ruby collapsed to her knees, head spinning and unable to stand.

Cynthia and Jessica stood in the corner of the room, Cynthia's chains spinning around them, but the moment the bear retracted his shield and started walking towards them, they dropped their weapons and raised their hands in the air.

"Good girls. I might even let you two live," he said, walking to the wall and pulling out another set of collars from his pockets.

Taking one end of the collar, he bent the chokers into hooks, slamming them into the metal wall and giving the chains a tug to make sure they were secure. He walked back to the girls, effortlessly picking them up and latching the collars around their necks, setting them down on the floor. He repeated the process for the limp Ruby and the unconscious Diane.

"No food rations for you," the bear faunus said, snapping the collar into place around Ruby's neck.

He dusted his hands off, surveying his handiwork, then turned and addressed the pirates behind him. "I'm done with them. You guys can go have some fun now," he said, shouldering past the pirates and leaving the room.

The pirates fell upon them like rabid animals. Jessica and Cynthia cried out but didn't resist, their protests replaced with sloppy wet sounds. Diane was shaken awake and assaulted, half dazed as they tore off her clothes.

Two of the pirates approached Ruby, one of them grabbing her head and shoving his face at hers. Ruby pretended to stay limp, his tongue probing into her mouth, then bit down, ripping off the fleshy muscle. He screamed and jerked back, exposing his throat, and Ruby lunged forward, catching his jaw with her sharp teeth and tearing out the bone. The pirate stumbled back, clutching the gushing hole where his mouth used to be.

The other pirate backed off a bit, pulling out pistol and firing wildly at her. The dust bullets caught her in the chest and neck as Ruby tried to dodge the gun, limited by the chains. She fell back, coughing blood and slumping against the wall, her vision flickering and red blooming across her shirt. The faunus pirate dragged his companion out of the room, bloody hands still clutched around his throat.

The other pirates had seen what happened and stayed away from her, despite the bullet wounds in her torso.

Ruby faded out of consciousness, the sounds of grunts and crying ringing in her ears as the darkness overtook her.

* * *

The room was quiet when she woke up, the moon already low in the sky. She had mostly slept through the entire day, waking up in short flashes and lashing out whenever someone tried to touch her. She vaguely remembered the bear coming back into the room and laughing at her, telling the pirates to stay away from her and let her starve to death as a lesson to anyone who might try to resist.

The bullet wounds in her chest and neck had mostly closed up, and her elbow felt almost fine. Ruby was hungry and tired and thirsty, the whole day having passed without getting anything to eat.

She looked around the room, her heart tightening a bit as she saw the other three. They were in various states of undress, bruises covering them, their hair matted and their bodies dirty. All of them were asleep, exhausted.

Ruby tugged at the collar around her neck, then pulled on the chain as hard as she could. The metal hook was firmly embedded into the wall, Ruby only able to pull it out an inch or so before giving up, panting, her arm sore. Look down at her splint, she flexed her arm out, the wood splintering and breaking, and shook off the scraps of cloth still around her arm and shoulder.

Now able to use both of her arms, she carefully pulled the metal, slowly taking it out of the wall, then carried it with her as she went to the bathroom and turned on the faucet. She took a long drink, then went back to the wall, pushing the hook back in and leaning against metal surface.

Half an hour later, another group of pirates arrived, smelling like food. They woke the three girls, setting down bowls of stew in front of them. The three ate ravenously as the soldiers laughed, forced to slurp from the bowl and use their hands. Ruby tried to ignore her growling stomach as she watched them eat, the smell of the stew wafting through the air.

After the girls were done, the pirates unchained them and dragged them to the bathroom. Ruby heard moans and grunts again, then the showers were turned on. A few minutes later, they were led out again, having been forcibly cleaned and scrubbed, and chained back to the wall. The bowls were taken away, and the pirates left the room. A few minutes later, they came back with a door, the previous one having been broken down, and screwed the hinges into the wall and slammed the door shut, locking it.

Once Ruby was sure they were alone, she spoke up. "I couldn't protect you guys," Ruby whispered sorrowfully. "Sorry."

Diane's ears twitched and she turned to look at her. "You're still alive?" Diane asked incredulously. "Your heartbeat was so faint that even I couldn't hear it."

"Red?" Jessica whispered. "At least you tried. I don't blame you."

Cynthia was silently crying. "I don't blame you either," she sniffled.

Ruby smiled a little, murmuring a thanks. She looked up at the moon, the glow softly illuminating the room. None of them moved to turn on the lights, instead choosing to remain in darkness.

"We said we would escape or die fighting," Diane suddenly said. "But we're not dead, are we?"

Ruby thought for a moment. "I can give you all an option," she said slowly. "If you don't want to continue suffering, I can end your pain, right now."

They paused for a moment, thinking.

"You'd kill us if we asked you to?" Diane asked, realizing what she meant.

"Yes," Ruby said quietly. "I can get out of these chains, and I'll just snap your necks at the base of your skulls. It'll be painless, I promise."

Now face-to-face with the guaranteed possibility of death, the three hesitated.

"Can we wait until morning?" Jessica asked, frightened. "I don't think I can make the decision right now," she cried, beginning to sob.

"Shh, I didn't mean to scare you," Ruby said, trying to comfort her. "It's just an option; I'm letting you guys know that there's always a way out."

Cynthia spoke up. "They're starving you," she pointed out. "Will you still have the strength to do this in a few more days?"

Ruby shrugged. "We'll see, but if it gets to the point where I can't get these chains out of the wall, then yes, I won't be able to do anything."

"As long as I'm alive, I'll be able to fight," Diane decided. "Dying will get me nowhere."

Ruby nodded. "When the time is right, I'll fight with you too."

"I don't want to die pointlessly either," Cynthia said, "but what if we're captured again? And then they do even worse things to us?"

"Is that your decision?" Ruby asked, standing up.

Cynthia scrambled back, shaking her head, her eyes wide open. "N-no, I'm just giving my opinion."

Ruby sat back down. "Then let's get some rest. We'll wait for an opportunity."

The four didn't speak, thinking their own thoughts, and eventually fell asleep.

* * *

The days passed like that, pirates coming in every day to have their way with the prisoners, disregarding Ruby and letting her starve.

Cynthia and Jessica were unwilling to take up her offer. Ruby was forced to permanently loosen her hook from the wall, hoping that no one would check, as she grew too weak to pull it out. She also loosened the hooks for the other three girls, knowing that she wouldn't be able to do it in the future. The pirates watched over them as food was served, rendering the three unable to hide food for Ruby. She had to sneak into the bathroom for water, drinking from the tap, to prevent an early death from dehydration.

Ruby sat there every day, listening to the sounds of the pirates abusing the other three, and at night she discussed with Diane when they could escape. Cynthia and Jessica grew comatose, becoming silent and unspeaking. They hid in their own minds, unwilling to confront the outside world. Only Diane continued to fight, continued to hold on to her personality.

Ruby grew thinner and thinner, her arms and legs becoming bony sticks, her cheeks gaunt and her eyes hollow, her legs barely able to support her during her trips to the faucet.

When the pirates were there during they day, Ruby paid attention to their conversations, hearing complaints and rumors about darkening skies and growing waves. The atmosphere of the ship grew grimmer as Ruby heard thunderstorms every day, pirates muttering about black rain. Diane told her that this type of weather hadn't occurred before during previous trips.

The four of them woke up one night when the boat rocked, something huge slamming into the hull. Looking out of the windows, they saw a gigantic black mass rising upwards, crawling onto the ship. The sounds of screaming and yelling came from outside the room, pirates panicking and people shouting orders.

There was a huge explosion, and the gigantic creature fell back into the ocean, a gaping hole blown into it. As the monster fell back and retreated, undulating away, Ruby saw that it looked like a massive black King Taijitu, swimming beneath the waves.

And then the boat shook again, a glimpse of something white appearing in the windows as another snake crawled onto the ship, squirming masses of small snakes crawling on its back. Another huge explosion came, along with sounds of gunfire. Ruby heard pirates running down the hallway, opening doors and slamming them shut. The entrance to their own room opened up and two pirates stumbled inside, bleeding from multiple bite wounds and shouldering the door closed. There were still a few snakes attached to them, so the wolf faunus and the goat faunus ripped the snakes off and stomped on them.

Ruby glanced at Diane, and she nodded. The pirates slumped to the floor, gasping, and Diane moved. Ripping the loose hook out of the wall, she jumped forward and slammed it into one of the pirate's head. The other pirate looked up, shocked, and began shouting, but Ruby had flared the last vestiges of her aura and freed herself too, stumbling forward and crushing the surprised pirate's head against the wall. He slumped down, unconscious, as Ruby collapsed onto him and panted, breathing in his warm smell.

Jessica and Cynthia hadn't reacted the whole time, staring at the two with glassy eyes.

Ruby's stomach growled and her body ached. She had stifled her needs for weeks, and now her hunger consumed her mind, ravenous from the starvation she had suffered.

Ruby felt her control slipping. "Diane, look away," she pleaded, tears coming to her eyes.

Diane could only stare in horror as Ruby ripped into the unconscious faunus, clawing at his midsection and cracking his ribs, scooping out his heart and liver and shoving it into her mouth. As she ate, the kidneys were exposed, and she ripped them out too, eating them in two bites. her sharp teeth easily chewing through the organs.

The cat faunus stumbled back, retching, as she moved away from the bloodshed. She huddled in the corner, shivering, with nowhere to go, as Ruby systematically ate the internal organs, her body demanding the nutrients.

A few minutes later, Ruby felt her senses return, her hunger satisfied. Her face bloody, her hair matted with fluids, she looked up, seeing the three people staring at her in horror.

Unbidden, tears formed in her eyes again, trickling down her face as she broke down and sobbed. She had tried so hard to suppress her emotions, she had resisted for all those weeks, becoming someone who didn't murder and eat people, but now her facade had collapsed once more, her nature getting the better of her. She wanted to throw up the meat, reject what she had done, but her body wouldn't let her.

Ruby was still weak, muscles trembling, but she angrily picked up the mangled corpse and threw it into the bathtub, then sat back down and continued weeping.

"I didn't want to eat him," Ruby wailed, "But I was so hungry."

She looked towards Diane, hoping to find a shred of understanding, but Diane impulsively looked away, unwilling to meet those piercing gray eyes. Jessica and Cynthia were still dazed, but deep down inside them they recognized what they were seeing and were afraid, their bodies trembling.

Ruby felt like giving up, felt like opening the door and letting snakes come in and kill all of them. But she still cared for Jessica, and she still wanted to protect these people she had promised to save, so she stood up, wiping away her tears and stifling her sniffles. Moving to the bathroom, her arms shook as she washed the blood off of herself, looking at herself in the mirror. She still looked like a living skeleton, her chest nearly flat and her cheekbones at sharp angles, but she felt her body filling back up, quickly burning the food in her stomach.

She walked back into the room and opened up the closet, searching for some clothes. Picking out four pairs of sweatpants and shirts, she threw a pair to Diane, who instinctively caught them. Ruby stripped off her bloody and tattered clothing, putting on a fresh black t-shirt and grey sweatpants, rolling up the bottom of the legs and pulling the cords tight against her thin waist.

"Let's get them dressed," Ruby said quietly.

Diane stood up, flinching a little as Ruby started walking towards her, but she steeled herself, holding Jessica and Cynthia up under their arms as Ruby slipped the pants and shirts onto them. After a bit of coaxing, they stood up robotically, a bit of life coming back into their eyes.

Ruby opened the door and peeked out, getting a glimpse of dozens of dead pirates being swarmed by innumerable amounts of squirming white taijitus and then immediately slamming the door shut when two of them tried to crawl inside.

"I think most of the pirates are dead; there are a lot of bodies outside," Ruby told Diane. "What do you want to do?"

Diane cleared her throat. "I think we should wait awhile in here first, let Jessica and Cynthia come back to their senses. Maybe the snakes will clear up too."

Ruby nodded, bending down and pulling the weapons off of the pirate's body before dragging it into the bathroom, putting it into the bathtub. Shifting the bodies around, she took the other weapons from the body she had eaten earlier, trying not to look at the exposed entrails. Her stomach was already beginning to feel a little empty, and she knew her hunger would return soon.

The two soldiers had rifles on them, along with six clips of ammo and three knives. She handed a rifle and three clips to Diane. Moving to Jessica and Cynthia, the two sat together with them, murmuring softly and telling them they were safe, trying to wake them.

An hour later, Jessica was beginning to stir herself. "R-red?" she asked, blinking. "What's going on?"

"You're safe, most of the pirates are dead, and there are tons of snake Grimm swarming the hallways," Ruby explained, having no desire to mention what she had done if Jessica didn't remember anything.

Cynthia also didn't seem to remember as she broke free of her state. She shook her head, clearing away the mental cobwebs. "Wha? Is it over now?"

Ruby nodded.

"I don't think I remember anything that happened," Cynthia said. "It felt like I was drowning in quicksand, trapped in my own mind."

Jessica nodded. "I'll probably have a ton of repressed memories to deal with when I get back, but I feel okay right now, with you two here." Jessica looked closer, noticing Ruby's appearance. "Red, what happened to you?" she gasped. "You look like the living dead."

Ruby grimly chuckled. "That's what weeks of starvation'll do to you," she responded, rubbing her thin arms.

"So what do we do now, Red?" Cynthia asked.

"We wait for a little bit," Ruby said. "Stretch out your body, get ready. We're going to try to retake the ship, now that so many of the pirates are dead."

A few minutes later, they were ready to go. Cynthia had her chains and a knife, and Ruby and Diane each had a length of metal wrapped around their arms. Jessica was given the other two knives.

"As long as we don't see enemies, we focus on the snakes at our feet, alright?" Ruby said. "Keep the area around ourselves clear and avoid being bitten."

The three nodded in agreement. Taking a breath, Ruby pushed open the door.

* * *

**Note:**

**The scythe-wielder is the reaper.**

**So anyways, if you're expecting sobbing messes of women after what they've gone through, be surprised, cause these people are strong of heart and strong of mind.**

**Beep boop, read and review, send messages, ask questions.**


	30. Docking

The snakes were still in the hallways, but the number had lessened, most squirming above deck and dropping back into the ocean after not being able to find anything else to attack. The four of them cautiously advanced, stomping and stabbing the snakes at their feet. A few of them reared up and jumped, attacking from all angles.

A particularly large one wrapped itself around Jessica, striking at her face, but Cynthia swung her chain and wrapped it around the snake's head, pulling it back. Diane sliced it's head off in a blur, the knife gleaming and the Grimm falling loose.

Walking past the dead bodies, Ruby saw that they were completely bloody, every inch of exposed skin torn, the armored helmets and chestplates they wore dented and filled with holes. Judging by the bloodstained walls of the hallway, the snakes had swarmed in as a mass, half a foot of bodies filling the floor, and managed to swamp the faunus pirates.

Ruby kicked a particularly large ram faunus, to make sure he was dead, and his fist suddenly reached out, grabbing her ankle and pulling her to the ground. Ruby gave out an involuntary squeak then slammed the knife into the back of the ram's head, and he let go of her ankle.

"Are you okay?" Jessica asked, eyes wide.

Ruby nodded, catching her breath as she sliced a snake that had been jumping at her in half.

"My room first," Ruby whispered. "I have to get something."

They nodded and moved towards Ruby's room, the third door down the hallway. Barging in, they found two sailors chained to the wall, looking terrified. Ruby recognized one of them as Derek. They relaxed upon seeing the girls, opening their mouths, but Ruby shushed them, opening the closet. Unzipping her travel bag, she took out her scythe and five clips of heavy-duty ammo. Ruby handed her pistol to Derek, giving the chain around her arm to the other man as she stood up, unfolding the scythe.

They gaped at her as the massive scythe opened, the gleaming black and red metal making for an intimidating sight. Ruby looked it over, stroking it and making sure that it was functioning perfectly. One of sailors stared, looking not at the weapon but at Ruby, understanding coming into his eyes.

"Red, you're alive-" Derek began.

"Do you guys know where the their leader is?" she interrupted, refolding her scythe and slipping it into their waistband.

"Yeah, he's taken up residence in the dining hall," Derek said, confused.

Ruby looked at her three companions. "Let's go take out the leader," she said. "And then we can rescue the other prisoners."

They agreed with her and the group ran towards the dining hall, Ruby slicing the snakes around them to bits.

The dining hall's doors were closed. Ruby sliced them diagonally and slammed through, hoping to surprise anyone on the other side. Two startled faunus looked up, shocked, and Cynthia and Diane engaged them, Jessica tentatively following behind the two. Another faunus rushed towards them, awoken by the commotion, and the two sailors turned to fight him, attacking him with their makeshift weapons.

Ruby ran forward, focused on the figure that was reclining on a chair at the center tables. The bear faunus finally sat up, noticing the commotion, and glared at her.

"Back for another round, girly?" he rumbled, standing back up.

Ruby grinned, baring her teeth. "I've got my weapon now," she stated, slamming her scythe into the floor.

The bear started walking towards her, slowly and deliberately. Ruby fired her heavy-duty rounds, but his shield instantly came up, glowing with pale yellow aura, the Dust bullets exploding against it but not damaging it. The bear was getting closer, and the bullets weren't working, so Ruby plucked her scythe out of the floor, whirling in a circle and slamming it into the bear's shield.

He gave roar of surprise of Ruby's scythe pierced it, the tip slicing into his arm. Using brute force, he swung his shield, flinging Ruby into a table. Ruby's frail bones cracked a little, but she stood back up and shifted the scythe back into the shotgun mode, taking aim and firing.

The bear charged her, shield out in front of him. Ruby jumped over his head and fired, one of the bullets slamming into his shoulder and making him stumble. His aura protected him, but the Dust bullet's explosion still staggered him.

Ruby landed near him, swinging her scythe even as she unfolded it, taking advantage of his momentary distraction. The bear was barely able to raise his shield in time, Ruby's blade glancing off the edges as she danced and swirled.

And then a golden shockwave flew out, slamming into Ruby and sending her careening against the floor.

The bear roared in laughter. "Didn't see that coming, did you?" he shouted, running at her.

Ruby was stunned, barely managed to roll to the side as the shield slammed into where she had been, the floor cracking and another shockwave flying outwards and pushing Ruby, sending her skidding into the wall. Ruby lay there, concussed, as the bear ran towards her to finish her off, when a shouting Derek suddenly slammed into the bear faunus from behind, swinging a metal baton into his head and interrupting his charge.

The bear faunus growled, shrugging off the blow and grabbing Derek, flinging him across the room and into the wall. He slid down, unmoving.

"Derek!" Ruby cried, standing back up.

"Oh? So you like him?" the bear said, grinning. "That's a shame."

Ruby screamed, seeing another loved one being ripped out of her life by outside forces. Her vision went red and her aura suddenly flared out, a dark red maelstrom surrounding her.

In a swirl of rose petals, Ruby disappeared and reappeared right next to the bear.

He shouted in surprise, his aura exploding outwards in a concussive wave again, but Ruby barely stumbled, moving herself forward and smashing her palm into his chest. This time the bear flew back, landing on a table and shattering it, his aura cracking and beginning to fade.

He immediately struggled to stand back up, but in another swirl of rose petals Ruby was on him, swinging her scythe and slicing off his leg off at the knee. The bear faunus roared from the pain and swung his shield, catching Ruby in the stomach, and exploded his aura. The point blank concussion rippled through Ruby, her midsection exploding in a shower of blood and fluids, her organs bursting out.

Ruby toppled down next to him, her body going into shock. The bear roared again, rolling over and slamming the shield back down onto her. Ruby raised an arm to block, the shield blast shattering her fragile bones, and took the opportunity to shove the scythe's muzzle into his chest, firing, the Dust bullets penetrating his weakened aura.

The faunus looked surprised as blood bubbled from his mouth, but he still swung his shield again. Ruby knocked it aside with her scythe, the faunus weakened, and sliced off his arm, kicking the shield to the away.

The bear started backing up, the stump of his knee dragging on the floor, but Ruby swung her scythe again, catching him in the gut and sliding her blade through him, coils of intestines spilling out onto the floor, steaming. The bear let out a cry of anguish, frantically trying to shove his guts back in, and Ruby shot him in the head twice.

She lay there, gasping, and looked down at herself, seeing her middle a bloody mess, her blood pumping out. Desperate, she scooped as much of the mess as she could back into her abdominal cavity and grabbed the carcass next to her, shoving her arm into the viscera. The red lifeblood flowed into her palm, soaking into her skin, and Ruby shivered as she absorbed it. The muscles and skin healed over her stomach area, the organs slowly beginning to repair themselves underneath.

Propping herself up, she looked around and saw Derek staring at her, shocked. Ruby slowly got up on shaky knees, preparing to walk towards him, when he suddenly spoke.

"I didn't want to believe it," Derek said slowly, "You were so beautiful and kind when we were together." He gulped nervously. "But that aura just confirmed my suspicions. You're Ruby Rose, right? Aren't you wanted for murder?"

Ruby's blood turned cold, her legs feeling like blocks of lead.

"I thought I recognized her too," the other sailor said. "I can't believe it! Ruby Rose, one of the most wanted criminals in Vale, right under our noses."

Ruby felt faint, realizing something.

Her past was always catching up with her. No matter what she did, she wouldn't be able to outrun it.

Pivoting on a heel, she stalked out of the dining hall.

She felt like a robot as she opened up each passenger room, unchaining any prisoners she found and shooting the the pirates. Some of them tried to take hostages, but Ruby's heavy duty rounds left a crater in their heads. The pirates that tossed dust crystals at her had them blown up instantly, Ruby reacting quickly and shooting them before crystals could get near her. Her previous opponents that had outmatched her in physical strength and speed couldn't react as Ruby used the recoil of her scythe to instantly close the distance and slice off their limbs.

Of course, some put up a fight, a particularly determined wolf faunus giving her trouble. Nimbly wielding a rifle that transitioned into a sword with blades at both ends, he managed to stab Ruby a few times. Ruby shrugged off the injuries and stepped back, firing a few rounds at him, each explosive shot pushing him back into the corner, then pushed herself forward with the recoil of a shot and slammed the scythe down onto his weapon, her dark red aura overwhelming his weak magenta aura and slicing the weapon in half, continuing downwards and cleaving his skull.

The last room she entered contained Mark, sitting down in a corner with chains wrapped around him.

"Hey," Ruby whispered. "It's over now; the pirates are all dead."

Mark jerked up, staring into her eyes. He looked gaunt, his eyes sunken, his clothing hanging loosely off of his body. "Red? Is that you?"

Ruby nodded, spreading his chains out and slicing them through with her scythe.

"Thanks," Mark said gratefully, slowly standing up and rubbing his joints.

Ruby gave him a small smile and left the room, heading for the library. Opening up the door, she sat down in a chair, the moon shining down on her, her head on the desk. She didn't have the strength left to cry; she just felt numb.

"I knew I'd find you here," Mark said, pulling up a chair and sitting down next to her.

Ruby didn't respond, staring forlornly at the desk.

"So, I heard you were a murderer," Mark said cautiously.

"News travels fast," Ruby sighed. "It's in the past, but yes, I did kill someone that I definitely should not have."

"Well, no matter what, I'll always be grateful to you for saving me," Mark said. He looked at her, noting her appearance. "And I see that you've suffered too," he whispered quietly, a compassionate expression on his face. "What did they do to you?"

"They didn't give me any food because I fought back," Ruby answered. Mark sucked in a breath. "But Jessica, Cynthia, and Diane suffered much more than me," she continued, leaving words unspoken.

Mark nodded, thinking for awhile.

"The world really isn't fair," he suddenly complained. "Look at you, Red. You've just saved everyone on the ship, and you've suffered greatly for it, yet they're still ostracizing you for a past crime."

Mark looked up at the ceiling, letting out his breath. "Did you know that I'm a faunus?" he asked Ruby.

Ruby stared, shocked. Mark smiled and pulled up his sleeves and shirt, exposing a smattering of scales that covered his torso and upper arms.

"I'm a snake faunus," he said. "Sorry I didn't tell you."

Ruby thought back to the library, the sunlight always shining through the window at his desk, and his love of sleeping all day.

"I should have realized earlier," she said, laughing.

Mark continued talking with her for a while more before the captain came into the room, followed by the ragged remains of the crew.

"Sorry to disturb you, Red," he said, "But we're going to use this place for a brief meeting because the dining hall is too... dirty."

Ruby nodded, remembering the mess she had made.

The rest of the sailors filed in, all of them injured. Only half of the starting crew was left. Derek was in the group, pointedly avoiding looking at her, so Ruby looked away from him too.

The captain stepped forward, turning to address them. "We're going to continue our course and head for the Dragon Wing tip," he stated. "It's the closest landmass; we'll be arriving in a week. Once we get there, I'll understand if you wish to end your contract, and I'll buy airship tickets for those who wish to travel away. All the chefs are okay, as the pirates extensively made use of their services, so we'll be having some food in about an hour and then at normally scheduled times." He paused for a second, suddenly looking years older. "The memorial services will be at nine tomorrow night," he said. "Everyone should get some rest, it's been long trip." The captain stepped back, done talking.

Speech over, Ruby headed towards the exit, but Derek suddenly stood in front of her, at a safe distance of course. Ruby knew what was coming.

"I can't be with you anymore," he said bluntly. "Red? Ruby? I don't even know which one is the real you. And after seeing you doing, I don't know what, something, to that bear faunus, I..." he trailed off, unable to say more.

Shoulders hunching, Derek walked away from her, out of the room.

Ruby leaned back against a book cabinet, shuddering, not really thinking of anything.

"Ruby?" Jessica asked. "Did he just dump you?"

Jessica was standing next to her, an understanding expression on her face.

Ruby tearfully nodded. "Are you also going to leave?" she asked, afraid.

"No, of course not," Jessica said, giving her a hug.

Ruby clutched her tightly and they sank to the floor, embracing each other, Jessica holding Ruby even tighter after feeling how frail she was.

They stayed like that for awhile.

"Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to go call my parents, they haven't heard from me for weeks." Jessica laughed a bit, wiping her tears. "They probably think I'm dead or something."

"Oh crud," Ruby exclaimed, brushing the moisture off of her face. "Yeah, you definitely need to call them."

They got up, and Jessica gave her one last hug before turning to leave.

"Wait," Ruby said. "Can I ask you something?"

Jessica nodded.

"How are you dealing with... this whole thing?" Ruby inquired.

Jessica frowned a little. "Some memories are coming back, little by little," she explained, "But I think I'm mostly okay for now. Now that everything's okay, I can focus on the present and deal with the past." She smiled again and turned, walking away.

As Jessica left the library, Ruby wished she could that.

* * *

Ruby was in her room, lying on the bed and scrolling through her tablet, when someone knocked at the door.

"Come in," Ruby said, setting the tablet down and sitting up.

Diane walked in, wearing a short-sleeved dress shirt and cargo pants, sitting down on the bed next to Ruby.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi," Ruby answered cautiously.

Diane took a breath, her ears twitching. "I just want you to know, I threw the body off the side of the ship for you. I wrapped it in bedsheets and just chucked it." She made a flinging motion with her arms.

Ruby gaped at her.

"I don't really care that you, uh, ate him," Diane declared. "The bastard deserved it anyways. As long as you don't eat anyone else, I'll always be your friend." Diane hugged the stunned Ruby. "Thanks for fighting with me."

Cynthia appeared in the doorway. "I don't want to interrupt anything," she teased, smiling, "But I was wondering if you wanted to come with us to the memorial services."

Ruby shook her head. "No, they all think I'm a terrible murderer. Not saying that they're wrong, but..."

Diane sighed. "Yeah, we probably shouldn't rub it into their faces that the person who saved them is a wanted criminal."

She looked at Ruby, glancing over her thin body. "How are you doing now?" she asked. "How's your body doing? I don't think you ate anything for weeks."

Ruby's stomach growled at the mention of food and she blushed a bit. "I just need to get some food."

"That's perfect," Cynthia said, smiling and clapping her hands. "They're serving food right now in the dining hall."

"Well, what are waiting for? Let's go!," Diane exclaimed, jumping off of the bed.

Ruby smiled and followed the two, Diane and Cynthia leading the way.

* * *

Ruby spent the next week in the weight room, consuming massive quantities of food and building her strength back up. She avoided Derek, and Derek never tried to speak to her. Jessica had called her parents, telling them what had happened, and they were sending a hoverjet to pick her up once they had docked.

They arrived at the shore with only one further Grimm attack, the trained sailors luckily spotting it early and blowing the sea Grimm to bits with the cannons. The dead carcasses of the white King Taijitu and the little white snakes that were still on board were kept as specimens, to give to the authorities once they had docked. Grimm attacks had been growing prolific, and the authorities were scrambling to figure out what was going on.

The boat had docked at Dragon Wing and the sailors were given indefinite shore leave, as the captain needed to claim the insurance on the missing cargo and hire new crew members. Out of the remaining crew, three-fourths chose to take up the captain's offer and accept his airship tickets.

While Ruby was packing, the captain met with her. Thanking her again for saving the ship, he told her that he managed to convince each crew member to keep their mouths shut, after reminding them of what she had done. Ruby thanked him and surprised him with a hug, telling him that she was sorry that this had happened and hoped he and his company could recover.

As Ruby headed off the ship, she observed the city. It was still relatively small, but tall buildings were springing up, some in the process of being built, large hotels and entertainment places being established. The temperature was cool, evidence of the last snowfall piled onto the corners of the sidewalks. Ruby didn't really feel the cold, but she put on a coat anyways, just to keep up appearances.

After the five of them had rented hotel rooms in the city, the cargo ship needing to be inspected, unloaded, and cleaned, they met in a warm coffee shop, the morning sun shining through the windows. Jessica, Cynthia, Diane, Mark, and Ruby sat in a corner, their little group bonded together after going through the experience on the ship.

"My parents are sending a hoverjet to pick me up," Jessica said, taking a sip. "It's going to get here the tomorrow. Does anyone need a ride? It's faster than an airship and it's free, too."

"I have a family to go back to," Cynthia said, surprising everyone. "It would be great if I could get a lift."

Ruby voiced their thoughts. "You don't look, uh, old," Ruby said awkwardly.

"Thanks," Cynthia chuckled. "I had my child when I was younger. It wasn't a good decision, but I love my son more than anything else."

"I'll be continuing my travels," Mark said, "Although I might stay around here a bit longer, to see the sights."

"I have somewhere I need to go, but I can't tell you guys," Ruby said apologetically. "Sorry. But that was the reason why I came here in the first place."

They nodded, drinking in silence.

"I don't really know what I'm going to do," Diane confessed, looking a little lost, her ears drooping a little.

"You could come with me," Cynthia offered. "Take a break, settle down."

The two had become fast friends, and with nowhere else to go, Diane accepted wholeheartedly.

They continued talking together, about their lives, their plans, their interests, their goals.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent walking around the city, checking out the shops and buying trinkets from the popular tourist town. They talked a bit about the odd Grimm attacks, wondering what was going on.

The night was spent at the hotel, the five of them exhausted after their ordeal and an afternoon around the city.

They met back at the cargo ship the next morning, the boat now serviceable, and the captain allowed the hoverjet to land on the above-deck platform. The five of them gathered there, for one last goodbye. Cynthia gave Ruby her number so they could stay in touch, and Ruby stored it in her tablet and memorized it, also giving Mark and Cynthia her own messaging address. Mark didn't have a number, but he said he would get a tablet as soon as possible.

The hoverjet flew off with Cynthia, Diane, and Jessica inside, leaving Mark and Ruby alone on the decks. Giving Mark a nod, Ruby shouldered her backpack and bag and walked off of the ship.

Pulling out her tablet, she checked the location of the faunus village and began walking.

* * *

**Note:**

**And that was this chapter :)**

**Read, review, rate, send me messages :D**

**Oh, the gore warnings... I assume that if you've delved this far, you're probably prepared for anything to happen, and I really disliked putting the warnings and completely spoiling what was going to happen. Like, one chapter I might start out happy, and then have something terrible happen out of the blue, but the gore warning completely spoiled that and tainted anything you read. So yeah, I dislike spoilers so I think that 15 chapters of warnings are enough to warn anyone off haha.**


	31. Through the Snow

Before Ruby left the city, she stopped in a public restroom, setting down her pack and opening it up. Carefully unfolding her red and black outfit, she shook it out, checking to make sure it was undamaged. The fabric was made out of thick, thermo-regulating material, tough and resistant. Taking off her outer clothes, she put on the combat skirt, slipping on the thin stockings and stomping on her combat boots. Her red cape was made out of similar material, Ruby securing it around her neck with small metal crosses. Her belt went around her waist, a pouch of ammo on the side.

Crouching down, she tied the laces on her boots and stuffed the clothing she had taken off back into her bag, then stepped out of the stall, looking at herself in the mirror. Her body had already fully recovered, her lean muscle back to its previous state. She took a few steps, making her her outfit was comfortable. She had completely remade the skirt, using stronger material but keeping the exact same looks, and she was happy with the results. She kept her gun in the bag, the gleaming red and black metal still a little too attention-grabbing.

Feeling a bit more like herself again, she put on the backpack and started off towards one of the stores she had passed the previous day. She bought enough canned goods and dried food to completely stuff her backpack, reorganizing the items inside and packing it down. Going through her mental checklist again, she made sure she had everything prepared, checking to make sure the supplies she had bought earlier in Vale were still there.

Finally, she was ready to go. She walked to the outskirts of the city, heading inland towards one of the rivers she planned to follow. The outpost was situated near the coast, a river running directly through it. Ruby was going to follow another river for the water source, then hop to the other river and follow that one down directly to the faunus encampment.

The day was bright, the noon sun hanging high above her, but the temperatures were low. This region was cold and often had snowstorms, especially during this time of the year, and the forests were still snowy.

After leaving the city, the landscape transitioned into tall, closely packed trees, snow covering the ground. Ruby hiked forward, ignoring the freezing winds and crunching through the snow.

Her tablet lost connection to the global communications system, the only thing functioning being the GPS. Checking her tablet intermittently, Ruby made sure that she stayed on course. She estimated that her journey would take quite a while, considering how far the settlement was from other forms of civilization. She knew she couldn't avoid risking drawing attention to it, her criminal status also preventing her from seeking other methods of transportation, so she had to make the journey by foot.

It was nighttime when Ruby finally stopped, having traveled ten miles or so into the wilderness. She chose a clearing, stomping down the snow, and set up a tarp to protect herself and her equipment from the elements. Pulling out a tin of preserved meat, she ate a quick dinner and drank some water from the nearby river. She still wasn't cold, so she just pulled out a sleeping bag and slept inside of it, using it as a barrier to keep her clothing from getting wet.

She woke up early the next morning, the sun not yet clearing the horizon, and got up, stretching. Her night in the wilderness seemed to leave her no worse for wear. Packing up the tarp and shouldering her backpack again, she took out her weapon and strapped it to her belt, storing her ammo into the pouch on the side. She was far enough from civilization to not need to worry about laws and regulations any longer.

After eating a small packet of dried fruits and nuts, she set out again. The days passed like this, the amount of snow growing higher as Ruby trudged forward. Some nights she sliced up some trees and set up a campfire, eating a hot meal. She was now more than a hundred miles from any city, and still far off from her destination.

It was getting lonely, the tablet having no way of communicating due to the lack of signal, the snowy landscape becoming monotonous. Some nights Ruby felt an urge to run back to civilization, to go back to where the people were and  _do something._  She hadn't seen a living thing, most of the animals having gone into hibernation, and the silence of the landscape was droning in her ears. The soft snow muffled every step she took, every breath she panted. She grew lost in her daydreams, sometimes forgetting to check her map and going off-course. Some nights she sat in the dark, ignoring her need to eat or sleep and instead focusing on the bright stars, wondering if this journey was useless.

Her reasoning was beginning to break down, her fragile psyche beginning to fracture.

* * *

The first Grimm attack came after two weeks of traveling.

Ruby was woken up the sounds of growls in the night, alerted right before a beowolf dashed into her tent, jumping on top of her. Ruby nimbly rolled to the side and slipped out of her sleeping bag, pulling out her shotgun and putting a hole through its head. The tarp suddenly collapsed as two more beowolves barreled through the thin walls. Ruby unfolded her scythe and swung in an arc, cleaving off both of their heads. There were a few growls and snuffles, and she heard the rest of the pack retreating.

Stepping of her tent, she caught a glimpse of black disappearing into the forest as she looked around her campsite, discovering that the only thing that damaged was the tarp, her backpack untouched. The moon was low in the sky, so Ruby had a quick breakfast and set off again.

The next few days were filled with beowolf attacks, the persistent Grimm returning every few nights and Ruby sometimes managing to kill a few.

One night Ruby awoke, having heard the sounds of the beowolves, and sat up, clutching her scythe. The beowolves growled and snuffled, but didn't attack. Ruby got up, wondering what was going on, and then something grabbed her shoulders and neck, the strong grip crushing her and forcing her to drop her scythe, her arms hanging loosely.

The talons ripped through the tarp as Ruby was lifted into the air, suddenly gaining an overhead view of the campsite. The beowolves had been circling around her tent, unwilling to go in. The wind buffeted Ruby's face as she strained to look up, seeing a gigantic black Nevermore holding her aloft, feathers gleaming in the light of the two moons.

The nevermore suddenly shifted its grip, and Ruby felt her shoulders grind and crack, causing her to writhe in discomfort. Ruby was being torn in half, her skin ripping and her muscles attempting to hold themselves together. She felt her joints separate, the tendons ripping apart, and her vision went a little fuzzy. Her arms and legs wouldn't move properly, her body too damaged.

Half an hour later, the nevermore dropped Ruby in a nest, landing on the soft moss bottom. Two nevermore chicks, each about as large as a man, looked down at her, cocking their heads.

Ruby's head was swimming, vision blurry. It was a constant battle to stay conscious, her broken body wanting to shut down.  _What I just let them eat me?_  Ruby asked herself.  _What's so bad about that? This struggle could be over, I could finally stop fighting..._ _  
_

And then one of the chicks pecked her stomach and Ruby instinctively jerked away, managing to roll onto her side. The chick squeaked in fear and flinched back, making the mother nevermore squawk protectively and flick Ruby with its beak, sending Ruby skidding into the side of the nest, the sticks jabbing into her clothing but not penetrating it.

Ruby looked up, seeing that the walls of the nest were higher than her head. Flaring her aura, she forced her body to stand up, ignoring her injuries, and began climbing the nest, using the branches that were sticking out at handholds. The mother nevermore hissed and Ruby flung herself to another set of branches, narrowly dodging the claw that slammed into the place where she had been.

And then its beak slammed into her, shredding her protective clothing and spearing through her chest. The sticks behind her cracked and snapped, sending Ruby flying out of the nest, the mother nevermore giving a surprised squawk.

Ruby slammed into branches on the way down, feeling her bones fracture as she bounced. The tree was high up in the air, so it took awhile for Ruby to finally slam into the deep well of snow underneath the evergreen, unable to move. The snow was light and puffy from a recent snowfall, so Ruby sank down a feet or two, eventually coming to a stop as the layers underneath her compressed.

Moving her head left and right, Ruby created a small space for herself to breathe in as she listened closely, wondering if the mother nevermore would search for her. The wound in her chest hardly bled, the freezing temperature making her veins constrict and stop the blood flow.

A few minutes later, Ruby had recovered enough to poke herself a little air hole, carefully peeking up at the nest through the branches to see if the mother bird was still there. Apparently gone, Ruby stood up and shook off the snow, pulling the tablet out from her pouch. It was a little cracked, but it still turned on, the bright glow lighting up the snow around her and the branches above her. Checking the map, she found that she was about fifteen miles away from her campsite.

Deciding to take an aerial route to avoid slogging through the snow, Ruby climbed the nearest tree and began jumping, running across tree limbs and hopping to another one. Avoiding all the snow, Ruby made it back to camp in two hours, the moon still high in the sky.

The campsite was desolated, the beowolves apparently having ripped into her supply pack after Ruby had been taken away. Ripped up packets and tins of food were scattered across the ground, the rest of the equipment also strewn around the campsite. Ruby sighed and began looking for the items, ignoring the unsalvageable food.

After half an hour Ruby had found her weapon in a snowdrift and a roll of steelsilk, the rest of the equipment either torn to shreds or hidden in dark shadows. She wrapped the steelsilk around her chest wound, further stemming the bleeding and protecting it from the elements. Deciding to wait until the morning light so she could see better, Ruby climbed into a nearby tree and wrapped her cloak around herself, going to sleep.

The next morning she searched for a little longer, finding only two tins of beef, three rolls of steelsilk, a metal canteen, a few sheets of tarp and two clips of ammo to complement the three clips in her pouch. The rest had either been taken by the beowolves or hidden underneath the snow, and Ruby didn't feel like bothering to search for them.

Her tablet showed that she was still a ways off from her destination, so she set off again, bundling the things she had saved into a piece of tarp and strapping it to her shoulder. At noon she ate one of the tins of meat and drank some water. When the sun set she found a clearing and sat down, waiting for the beowolves to arrive.

The growls and snuffles came once more as the bipedal wolves entered the clearing and circled her, preparing to attack. Ruby looked closely at them. One of them was larger than the others, the apparent alpha of the pack. Ruby had been indiscriminately killing them, but now she needed to change it up.

This time, she made the first move, jumping at the alpha and plowing into him, both of them flying away from the rest of the wolves. Ruby flipped herself on top of the beowolf and punched it a few times in the head, stunning it, then turned and whipped out her shotgun, blasting the head off of one of the wolves that was charging her. Predictably, the rest of the wolves retreated again, but this time missing their leader.

Ruby turned to the stunned wolf under her and got off, kicking it a few more times to make sure it stayed down. Pulling out a roll of steelsilk, she wrapped a strip around the beowolf's throat, knotting it off and making an immensely strong collar. She used her scythe and sliced off the other end, wrapping it around the thick trunk of a nearby tree.

The beowolf she had shot was still warm, so she drank a bit of its blood before taking out her scythe and slicing it into chunks of meat. The organs she ate immediately, taking her time and licking her fingers clean as she waited for the alpha beowolf to come back to its senses.

The wolf slowly got up, shaking its head and lunging at Ruby. Ruby smacked his snout, sending him flying, the collar choking his neck as it reached the end of the leash. It attacked again, not yet learning its lesson, and Ruby repeatedly smacked it down, sometimes using her scythe to cut it up a little.

Blood was flying through the air as Ruby gave it small slices, cutting off a chunk of flesh here and there. It was the first  _fun_ thing she had done in awhile, and she felt exhilarated, alive once more. Even when the wolf backed up against the tree and whimpered, Ruby followed it, panting in excitement as she removed strips of flesh from its hide.

The beowolf was unconscious when Ruby forced herself to stop, realizing that she needed him alive. She cleaned her scythe off on the snow and reluctantly put it away. Packing some snow around the steaks she had sliced off from the beowolf to keep them fresh, she climbed the tree and wrapped her cloak around herself, sleeping until morning.

She continued traveling the next day, dragging the injured and submissive beowolf on a leash as she walked. She tried giving it a steak while eating her own meal, but it refused to touch the flesh of its comrade. Ruby shrugged, knowing that it would eventually have to eat or else it would starve to death.

The next night, the beowolf pack came again, but this time to rescue their alpha. Two beowolves silently moved in the darkness towards the leashed alpha, unaware that Ruby was watching them from above. The two beowolves were gnawing at the steelsilk, the tough material resisting their efforts, when Ruby dropped down on top of them, smashing a palm into both of their heads. The two beowolves fell, and Ruby spun and gave them both another kick. The alpha had been crouched the whole time, tail tucked underneath him.

Ruby wrapped steelsilk around their throats and tied them to the tree with the alpha, waiting for them to wake up. After awakening, they once again turned to fight her, and Ruby cut them down repeatedly. The slightly larger beowolf wouldn't stop attacking even after the other wolf quit, so Ruby sliced off one of its front paws the next time it charged forward. The beowolf howled and dropped to the ground, clutched its injured forearm, and stopped resisting.

Ruby ate a bit more of the flesh she was carrying, once again offering the meat to the alpha and then to the two beowolves. None of them touched the meat, instead just shying away from her.

The next day she traveled with the three of them in tow, scolding them and prodding them onwards with the pointy end of her scythe when they refused to move. However, they never tried to disobey her again, their injuries reminding them of the consequences of disobedience.

Four nights later, Ruby had collected seven beowolves, and they were starting to get bolder, the presence of their packmates giving them courage. Ruby was running low on food anyways, so she chose one them and slaughtered it, slicing off all its limbs and giving it a chance to scream before beheading it. The wolves were quiet after that, seeing what Ruby had done. Ruby carved the wolf up, eating the organs and wrapping the rest up in a tarp with a bit of snow.

Ruby was a little concerned that her wolves weren't eating anything, so she filled a tarp with water and set it up next to the tree they she had tied them to, then put a few steaks next to it. The next morning, the steaks were still there, untouched, so Ruby wrapped them back up and set off again.

After a bit more disciplining and some scolding, the beowolves completely obeyed her, submitting themselves in fear and tucking their tails whenever Ruby walked towards them. She had decimated the pack of wild beowolves, as no more approached her during the night.

Now that the beowolf pack had been subdued, the rest of the wildlife began to appear again, Ruby seeing signs of ursa tracks and normal animals. One noon during lunch, she climbed up a tree and looking around, catching sight of an ursa minor snuffling around an evergreen, looking for food. Aiming carefully, she shot it twice in the chest, going for the heart. The ursa stumbled around a bit and collapsed, blood pooling beneath it. Ruby jumped from tree to tree, landing next to the ursa and dragging it back to her encampment.

The wolves had refused the beowolf steaks for nearly two weeks now, and some of them were growing thin.

Ruby set the ursa down in front of them. "Come on, it's not beowolf flesh," she encouraged. "Time to eat!"

The beowolves inched closer but didn't start eating until Ruby backed away from the corpse. They tore into the flesh ravenously, reminding Ruby of her own hunger. Opening up her tarp, she chewed on a cold steak as she watched them tear into the still-warm ursa. The steak she was eating felt tasteless and dull, so she threw it back into the tarp and walked back towards the ursa corpse.

One of the beowolves saw her and whimpered, backing off, and the others heard it and also retreated. Ruby smiled, stepping forward and ripping out a warm chunk of flesh, stuffing it into her mouth. The musky, dense, hot ursa flesh filled her senses as she chewed ravenously, delighted with the fresh meat. Ruby ate for a few minutes, stuffing herself, then let the beowolves have the rest. Climbing back into her tree, her belly warm and full, she took a small nap as the beowolves fed.

Ruby continued traveling like this, intermittently feeding her six beowolves with whatever wild animal meat she could find, from ursas to foxes to deer. They were her only company during this time and Ruby began to grow a little attached, individually recognizing the beowolves and nicknaming them after the people she had known or killed. The beowolves had completely submitted to her now, so Ruby slept during the night with them, their warmth comforting her.

One morning, however, Ruby woke up to the sight of one of her wolves missing. It had somehow managed to escape, its collar slowly having become loose enough over the few weeks for it to escape. Ruby was a little angry, remembering how she had told them each about the price of disobedience, and checked the remaining beowolves' collars.

Making sure they were secured, she looked around and saw a set of tracks that led away from the campsite. Ruby tried to follow the tracks, but her little experience and the new snowfall obscured them, ending her attempt at tracking only a day after she had begun.

Ruby eventually gave up and started heading for the village again, trying to put thoughts of the betrayal out of her mind.

The beowolf came back one bright morning, the barks of the other beowolves waking Ruby up. There were two wolves sitting in front of Ruby as she sat up and yawned. The beowolf that had escaped had returned with a female beowolf.

"Aww, you wanted to find someone," Ruby gushed as she leaned forward, eyeing the escaped beowolf. "I'm so glad you came back," she whispered, hugging it.

The wolf was panting happily and wagging its tail when Ruby shoved her hand into its stomach. Its legs and arms began to spasm wildly as Ruby kept a firm grip on the beowolf, pulling out rope after rope of intestine.

"Sorry," Ruby said, smiling, "But I told you what would happen if you tried to escape."

The beowolf's legs collapsed as it screamed in pain, trying to wriggle out of Ruby's grasp as she continued to disembowel it. The female howled and leapt at Ruby, but Ruby just kicked it away, sending it slamming into a tree.

Half a minute later, the wolf had stopped crying. Ruby stood up, wiping her hands on the snow as she pulled out a roll of steelsilk. The female beowolf was added to Ruby's pack that day, needing to have her tail cut off before she submitted.

A few weeks later, after another set of snowstorms and some food shortage issues, Ruby made it to the outpost, her six beowolves behind her.

* * *

 

**Note:**

**And that was this chapter! Thank you all for your kind reviews, I read each one of them :3**

**Once again, read, review, send me messages, etc, thank you for reading!**


	32. Arrival

Ruby's uniform was tattered, rips across her chest and holes in her thin stockings. The cold and moist conditions had managed to damage the tough material of her clothing, further worn down by the Grimm attacks and her hunting for food. She had tried washing the bloodstains out, but they were hard to completely remove, dark red stains still visible over the lighter red of her cloak.

Ruby brushed her hair out of her eyes, looking at the secret faunus village.

Tall wooden walls rose around the settlement, with lookout towers placed sparsely. The walls were thick and made out of large tree trunks, walkways on top that were wide enough for two people to fit side by side. The tips of a stone building or two poked out from behind the walls, smoke leaking from their chimneys. There was a large main gate on one side, with an auxillary gate on the other side of the village. A river ran alongside the outside of the walls, providing a moat to half of the structure. Overall, the settlement was already quite large, encompassing many square miles of space, the walls making it seem even more intimidating.

She had arrived during the night, moonlight shining down on her. Hiding in the forest that surrounded the outpost, she wondered how she was going to introduce herself.

Having decided to settle down and watch the place for a few days first, she was nodding off when she heard growls and scratching near the wall. Her beowolves were silent, looking in the direction of the sounds. Grabbing their leashes, she silently moved through the underbrush towards the disturbance.

An Ursa Major and an Ursa Minor were digging at the wall, their paws slowly creating a hole and wearing away a bit of the wooden wall. Ruby told her beowolves to be quiet, then set them upon the two Grimm. She herself pulled out her scythe, dashing towards the Ursa Major.

Turning faster than she had expected, the Ursa Major rotated towards the new threat and slammed the spikes on its back into her, forcing Ruby to raise her arm to stop the spikes from going through her face. The white spikes impaled her forearm, torso, and thighs, and then the massive ursa backed off a bit and swung at Ruby. Ruby barely blocked the blow with her scythe and flew back from the force, rolling across the snow.

Her beowolves had made short work of the Ursa Minor, the Grimm laying bleeding on the ground. Now they turned to fight the remaining ursa, who merely batted them aside as if they were minor annoyances and charged the fallen Ruby.

Ruby got up, one hand unable to grip her scythe, and dodged the ursa's first blow, disappearing and reappearing behind the paw, then swung her scythe into the ursa's unprotected throat, decapitating it and jumping out of the way when the body collapsed.

Refolding her scythe, she walked over to her beowolves, checking to see if they were okay. Three of them were limping, a few with minor scratches, but they seemed to have no permanent injuries. Wrapping their collars around her useless forearm, she grabbed the fallen Ursa Major's head and tossed it deep into the forest to avoid attracting unwanted attention and scavengers, then did the same for both of the ursas' bodies.

Slipping back into the forest, she butchered a bit of meat from the two carcasses, then went back to her tree and slept.

* * *

The amount of Grimm attacks had been increasing lately, although after sightings of a mysterious red figure the amount of attacks seemed to have decreased by a bit. Rumors abounded through the village, some claiming that it was a Grimm, while others claimed that it was a protector, with most thinking that people were just spreading unsubstantiated gossip and seeing correlation when there was none.

That morning, the rabbit faunus was standing guard in the lookout tower, his ears perked as he looked around for signs of danger. He scanned the landscape, ever-vigilant as he stood his watch. Thus, he was surprised when he heard a voice call up from the main entrance.

"Hello?" came the voice.

The guard looked down, his jaw dropping a bit when he saw a small red-hooded figure standing there, holding the collars of six beowolves that sat near her.

"Helloooo?" the figure asked again. "Anyone up there? I just wanted to say hi."

The guard wasn't sure what to do, seeing that the beowolves weren't attacking and recognizing the figure of a young girl beneath the red cloak.

He shook himself out of his stupor. "Uh, just wait a second," he called back down. "Let me go get village Leader. Don't move!" He dashed down the stairs of the guardhouse, taking three at a time, heading for the village hall.

"Okay," the voice shouted back. "I'll just stand here!"

* * *

Vincent was sitting in his office, his large round lion ears twitching in frustration as he reviewed the list of building material shipments. The government wasn't sending enough, and he didn't want to pressure them to send more to avoid drawing suspicion. However, he was also reluctant to send people out into the Grimm-infested forest to gather lumber for supplies, unwilling to risk any of the settlers in a possibly futile endeavor.

A frantic knock suddenly sounded at the door.

"Come in," Vincent said, relieved to have an excuse to stop looking at the rows of figures. He pushed the papers away from him, leaning back in his chair and focusing on the door.

A guard burst in, panting. "There's someone at the main gate," he explained. "It's a young girl with a red cloak, and six beowolves are with her. Remember the rumors we've been hearing about?"

Vincent nodded, standing up.  _Red hood?_  he thought to himself.  _Interesting._

"Go get the council and have them meet me outside," he ordered, flipping a grey mantle over his ears. "We'll go see what this is all about."

The guard nodded and left first, Vincent following after him. He walked down the bare stone hallway, exiting through the main door and waiting outside the village hall. The council members filed out of the door half a minute later, acknowledging him.

"Leader," the group greeted him. They began walking together, the five council members surrounding Vincent as they discussed the issue.

"Do you think it's an early check up from Vale?" Lissa asked, worried. "We're not prepared enough, we don't-"

"Calm down, Lissa," Vincent said, gently but firmly quieting her. "The guard said it was a young girl."

However, he could never be too sure. Vincent turned toward the guard. "Spread the news," he ordered. "Tell everyone to conceal themselves."

The guard nodded, flipping up his own grey hood and covering his ears, then ran off toward the village housing.

"I want her out," Connor grumbled, his bison ears twitching in agitation. "We need to hunt her down, crush her, protect the village. We cannot allow ourselves to be discovered."

Winston looked amused and kept silent, not speaking.

"If she's traveled to our village by foot, then she must be strong," Remus said, thinking. "Not to mention the fact that she supposedly has beowolves with her."

Magnus spoke up. "I agree with Connor," he announced, turning and staring at Vincent with his merciless black eyes. "She is a risk."

The continued bickering amongst themselves, Vincent watching and weighing their opinions.

"We'll make our decision after seeing her," Vincent said as they neared the main gate.

The gates drew open slowly, revealing a hooded figure standing right in front of it. The guards cursed and jerked back, pulling out their weapons, making Vincent want to chuckle.

A small girl was standing there, a bright red hood obscuring her facial features, a red and black shotgun strapped to her belt. She was wearing tattered clothing, holes in her leggings and bodice, her chest partially exposed. Despite the amount of skin, however, the small figure seemed strangely innocent, standing there alone in the snow.

She pulled down her hood, red-black hair escaping from the cloth. Her pale cheeks flushed pink in the cold wind, her large silver eyes gleaming in the morning light, she looked like a lost little girl trying to find her way home. Her embarrassed expression greatly contrasted with the beowolf pack that she held at her side.

Lissa gasped upon seeing her face.

"Uhm," the girl began, nervous. "I wanted to-"

She was interrupted when one of the larger beowolves snarled and leapt forward, having caught scent of the faunus that was now standing before it.

"Bad doggie!" the girl scolded, jerking the leash back and smacking it on the nose.

Vincent's eyes widened a fraction as the beowolf whined and slunk back to the girl, prostrating itself in front of her.

"S-sorry," she apologized, smacking the beowolf once more on the nose and taking a breath.

"Hi," she began again. "I'm Red. I want to help you guys."

Lissa was tugging at Vincent's mantle, clearly wanting to say something but unable to do so in front of the girl. Connor was snorting angrily, steam rising from his nostrils. Winston was watching silently, a neutral expression on his face. Remus was pacing about, looking closely at the girl. Magnus was radiating calm ruthlessness, his body relaxed yet prepared for what was to come.

Ruby blushed a little deeper, their intent stares making her feel a little uncomfortable.

Vincent broke the silence. "Hello," Vincent responded. "I'm Vincent. This is Lissa, Connor, Remus, Winston, and Magnus," he said, pointing to each one of them in turn. "We've just come to get a glimpse of you. Do you mine if we reconvene and discuss our next course of action?"

"Sure," the girl said, a bit confused. "I'll just wait here, I guess."

The group of faunus backed up a bit, out of earshot of the red figure.

Lissa, unable to contain herself any longer, began talking. "I know her!" she said frantically. "My sources told me that a few months ago, a wanted murderer escaped the Rogue camp and-"

"Rogue camp?" Vincent interrupted.

"It's the place where they send the worst criminals," Lissa explained. "The escapee was wanted for one count of attempted murder and one count of actual murder, along with the torture and assault of her two victims. Everyone thought that the prisoner had died trying to escape, but like I said, my sources told me that she might have actually survived." Lissa paused, taking a breath. "Based on the descriptions of her appearance and the weapon at her belt, I believe that this girl, Red, is actually Ruby Rose, the wanted murderer."

"See?" Connor crowed triumphantly. "I was right. She must be eliminated, for our own safety and for the safety of those living in the village."

"I agree," Magnus spoke. "No negotiation. We kill her now."

They were silent for a moment, looking at the lonely figure in front of them, the wind whirling up bits of snow around her and blowing around strands of her hair. She looked fragile as she clutched her cloak tightly to herself, having just realized how revealing her clothing was and trying to cover herself up.

"Looks can be deceiving," Winston said quietly.

"And those beowolves..." Lissa murmured, reminding them.

They had nearly forgotten about the creatures of Grimm, the six sitting silently next to Ruby, their darkness staining the snow around her.

"We do not have to tell her about our realization of her identity," Remus suddenly said. "Instead, we can have her stay within the forest and use her as our first line of defense against attacking Grimm."

"No," Magnus said. "Remember what we have at stake here."

"I agree," Lissa added. "If any word about us gets out, our entire endeavor is doomed. We cannot take any risks."

"She tortured faunus. Psychos like her will only repeat their offenses again," Connor concluded.

Vincent nodded, beginning to think that they were correct. Risking this entire village to spare the life of one human murderer was absurd.

"Then we will end this quickly," Vincent decided.

Connor grinned and flexed his muscles. The armor underneath his loose robes expanded, small whirring and clinking sounds the only indication that he was arming himself. Lissa stuck her hands into the pockets of her pants, palming a few throwing knives. Winston sighed a little, fingering the handle of his expandable spear underneath his cloak. Remus looked resigned as he inconspicuously patted the two holsters on his waistband, checking to make sure his pistols were still there. Magnus cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders as he casually placed his hand over the broadsword at his side.

They began walking towards Ruby, placing neutral expressions on their faces. Ruby looked up and grinned, relieved that they were done talking. She watched curiously as they silently walked towards her, a small smile on her face.

And then someone ran to them, shouting.

"Wait, stop," came the voice, panting. "I vouch for her."

* * *

Ruby watched in surprise as a golden-haired figure ran up to the six faunus, stopping and gasping for breath, hands on his knees.

Ruby looked closer, blinking. "Mark?" she exclaimed, surprised.

He looked up, his emerald eyes staring into hers as he tried to grin, still trying to breathe. "Hey, Red," he breathed.

Mark turned to address the lion faunus. "Leader, please, wait, I know her."

"You know her?" the lion asked, surprised. "How?"

"When I took the ship to the continent," Mark began, "We were overtaken by White Fang pirates."

"The White Fang was involved?" Lissa asked, frowning. "Go on," she said, motioning with her hand when Mark paused.

"Do you want me to start from the beginning?" Mark asked. "This may take some time."

Vincent nodded, mouthing a "sorry" to Ruby and led the group back once again to hear Mark's story.

Ruby was confused and impatient, wanting to ask Mark what was going on, but she also didn't want to intrude on their meeting, so she forced herself to wait. Instead, she took the time to closely observe each of the faunus. They all wore hoods that hid their ears, but even as Ruby watched Mark tell his story, they took their hoods down, learning that Ruby already knew what they were.

The lion faunus was clearly the leader of the village. He had a golden mane of hair that was streaked with black, bronze eyes, and a classically handsome face. Tall, lithe, and muscular, there was an air of authority around him that demanded complete obedience. He had no visible weapons.

Lissa was the lynx faunus, two tufted ears poking out from brown hair that was streaked with white. She had deep blue eyes and feline features, tilted eyes and a dainty little nose. Despite her cute and small appearance, Ruby saw that she was athletic and powerful, her body belying sudden strength. A short sword hung on her side, tied to her waist.

Connor was the bison faunus, a large and rough man. He had shaggy dark brown hair, chestnut brown eyes, a thick beard, and ruddy features. He wasn't as tall as Vincent, but he was wider and bulkier, a mountain of a faunus. He wore loose brown robes that concealed the shape of his body.

Remus was the wolf faunus, grey ears on the top of his head. His color was gray all over, with piercing gray eyes, dark gray hair, and wearing a light gray suit complete with a gray tie. He had an intelligent, efficient appearance, augmented by his clean-shaven jaw and a pair of thin rectangular glasses perched upon his nose. Two pistols hung on a waist holster, and a rifle was strapped across his back. Ruby was willing to bet that he had spare ammo under his suit and more than a few knives hidden up his sleeves.

Winston was the hare faunus, having dark amber eyes and pale blonde hair. He had a small goatee, a hint of a smile on his face. A sheathed dagger was at his waist, another glint of metal hidden underneath his cloak. He was sinewy and tall, looking though he might jump away at any time.

Last was Magnus, who was some sort of bear faunus. He had furry white ears and snow-white hair. His coal-black eyes were pits of darkness on his pale, broad face. This faunus was huge, tall as Vincent and as large as Connor, wearing a thin sleeveless shirt that displayed his white skin and bulging muscles. A large broadsword hung at his side, nearly as long as Ruby was tall.

A few minutes later, Mark finished his story, the council of six silently taking in his information.

Mark let them think as he walked back over to Ruby, a smile on his face.

"Didn't expect to see you here," he said, grinning.

"Hey, I was going to say that," Ruby protested, smiling back. "You never told me you were coming here."

"Well, this place is a secret."

"How did you even get here? I had to walk all the way, and I didn't see a single trail."

Mark stared at her incredulously. "You walked?" He shook his head, chuckling. "Of course you'd walk," he muttered to himself.

Turning around, he pointed behind Ruby. "There's a path that goes from here to the coast. You didn't see it because you came down the coast, while I took another boat to the shoreline here and just walked for a day."

"Oh well," Ruby shrugged, shaking her leash. "At least I picked these little guys up on the way here."

Mark looked at the beowolves, skeptical. Each beowolf was nearly as large as Vincent. "Whatever you say, Red," Mark said, shaking his head.

They looked back at the group of faunus, unable to hear what they were saying but closely watching their gestures. They had been arguing, but now the protests were dying out as Remus began to speak.

"Like I said, Ruby would be a valuable asset in the defense of our village," Remus said. He took off his glasses, polishing them as he gathered his thoughts. "I've been carefully looking over our data," he continued, "and I've found that although the overall amount of Grimm attacks have been increasing, the time of Ruby's arrival correlates with a drop in attacks that cannot be attributed to random variation. I've also been interviewing the guards. Sometimes they hear the sound of Grimm, yet when they go to investigate, they see nothing more than a flash of red or a puddle of blood left behind."

"Get to the point," Connor rumbled.

"Thus," Remus concluded, "We can assume she has been responsible for the reduction in Grimm assaults. Judging by the pattern of attacks, it is highly probable that she arrived a week or so ago. If what Lissa said was true, and if Ruby was really a psychopath, she would have crawled over our walls on the first day she arrived. Yet," he pointed out, "she defended this village and logically waited to speak with us. This behavior is not consistent with that of a psychopath, which means that-"

"Thank you, Remus," Vincent interrupted, addressing the group. "I think we've heard enough. We will allow her to stay outside the walls based on Mark's account of Ruby saving the two faunus on the boat. If her intentions are honest and she truly wishes to help us, then she will not protest continuing her current lifestyle."

"These aren't the best conditions for a young girl to live in," Winston protested softly, glancing around at the snowy landscape.

"She is strong, and she has her beowolf pack," Vincent responded. "My decision stands. We cannot risk having her in the village, and Remus raises a good point. My decision has been made."

His tone of voice left no room for further argument. All of them looked dissatisfied, but none of them complained.

"In addition," Vincent added, "We will not be telling Ruby that we have knowledge of her true identity. She has her own reasons for concealing them, and we will not pry further."

They nodded, agreeing, then dispersed one by one, heading back into the village, while Vincent walked forward to talk to Ruby.

Vincent explained the terms of her stay and Ruby agreed, willing to help and understanding their reluctance to admit her. Mark looked a little shocked and angry, but Ruby elbowed him, telling him to be quiet.

Finally, the two were left alone. The guards beckoned towards Mark, motioning that they were going to shut the gate.

"I'll stay with you," Mark decided. "I don't know why they are treating you like this, but I'll stay with you so you won't be alone."

Ruby shook her head, smiling. "Thanks, Mark," she said, "But I'll be fine out here. It's probably my past catching up to me again; I think someone on that council knows who I really am." Ruby sighed a little.

"Are you sure?" Mark asked. "I mean, about living alone out here."

"Yes," Ruby said stubbornly. "I really will be fine. You can come visit me sometime, but I'll probably be busy hunting down Grimm."

The guards were shouting more insistently now, and Mark slowly began to walk back. "Stay safe, Red," he called. "I'll find a way to get you inside."

Ruby nodded and turned away, disappearing into the forest, glad that she had someone who cared for her.

* * *

**Note:**

**OH MY GOD**

**I KEEP PRESSING ALT AND THEN HITTING BACKSPACE, AND THOUSANDS OF WORDS GET DELETED**

**IM SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW HNNGGGHHH I HAD TO REWRITE EVERYTHING BECAUSE I WAS TOO STUPID TO SAVE**

**So Vincent is a coincidental reference to a Beauty and the Beast TV series running from 1987-1990, which is very weird. But Vincent just sounds like a good, lion-y name, you know?**

**Also, as for the Grimm being "reasoned with", they aren't really being reasoned with, they are being brutalized and suppressed. They demonstrate pack intelligence in the official episodes, leading me to believe that they have some sort of intelligence. They recognize that Ruby can easily kill them and chase them down if she wished to do so, so they listen to her so she won't get mad and eat them.**

**And just because it probably won't be mentioned, Magnus is a polar bear faunus. Probably pretty obvious but just wanted to clarify.**

**Read and review, sorry for the late update, but I deleted my work accidentally ;_;**


	33. Stronger

Her memories had returned over the past few months, sometimes coming back to her in dreams. One night, she woke up crying, tears flowing from her eyes. Weiss was embracing her, whispering in her ear, telling her that she was safe. After Alys had calmed down, Weiss gave her a kiss, asking her what she had been dreaming about.

Alys gulped, sniffling. "The night Ruby was taken away," she whispered.

She felt Weiss's body stiffen against hers, the mention of that event reawakening unwanted memories. Alys leaned her head into the hollow at the base of Weiss' throat, planting a soft kiss.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you remember those times."

Weiss hugged her. "You have nothing to apologize for. I should be the one apologizing."

She looked into Alys' eyes, something nagging at her. "Do you still have any feelings for Ruby?" Weiss asked bluntly, afraid of the answer.

Alys drew back, staring directly into Weiss' face. "Of course I do," she answered truthfully, "But I love you so much more than her. You're my guardian angel, you were the one who was there for me when I woke up, and you are one who will be with me for the rest of my life."

Weiss shivered, Alys' declaration ringing in the cold night air. At that moment, she loved Alys with everything she had, filled with lust and passion and yearning. She loved her so much that she needed her  _this instant_.

Without further ado, Weiss kissed her and slipped a hand under her panties, entwining their bodies. Alys responded in turn, their tongues mingling and sliding, moaning and grabbing her hair, pulling Weiss closer as she caressed Alys, putting a finger in and stroking her.

The last vestiges of her nightmare dissipated as their limbs tangled, all thoughts of conversation put aside as they loved one another.

* * *

They woke up late the next day, the sun already high in the sky. Weiss couldn't resist pouncing on Alys again, her sleeping face too innocent and too beautiful. An hour later, they were finally dressed and sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast.

"Weiss?" Alys asked.

"Yeah?"

"How do auras work? Nobody really knows about them in town, and you're one of the only people I know who uses aura."

Weiss thought for a moment, putting her spoon aside. "You're an unusual case, Alys. Auras are usually activated through training, usually the combat variety. But your aura manifested itself when you wanted to help people, right?"

Alys nodded.

"Then your aura seems to be tied to your willpower," Weiss speculated. "For you, I would guess that your aura is activated through desire, and is strengthened by your emotions."

"Is there any way I could make it stronger?" Alys asked.

"Well, you could use it a lot. My glyphs got easier to use after I practiced for awhile," Weiss hypothesized, "So maybe that method would also work for you."

"Hmm," Alys muttered, thinking. "I guess I could go practice on the lawn."

"What are you trying to do?" Weiss asked, curious.

"I want to grow stronger," Alys declared, standing up. "I want to be able to protect those that I love. I can't depend on you forever, Weiss."

"You can always depend on me," Weiss said firmly, "but that does sound reasonable." She also stood, beginning to clean up the table. "You go practice, I'll do the dishes."

Alys thanked her, giving her a peck on the lips, then went outside and sat down on the grass. She drew up her aura around herself, a faint green glow surrounding her body.

Trying to remember the feeling, she focused on a blade of grass, telling it to heal itself, to grow, as she tried to push her aura into it. The little green leaf wriggled a bit, stretching upwards, growing a centimeter or two. Then it withered, its nutrients expended, and collapsed, returning to dust.

Alys gasped a little and frowned, wondering how close she been to killing her patients. Shaking away her doubts, she focused again, this time staring at a flower. She was a little gentler this time, just encouraging the flower to bloom, its petals straightening up a bit as its roots drew up a little more water, its colors growing slightly brighter.

Smiling, she repeated this process for a few more flowers before tiring, her aura spent and flickering. Shaking her head to clear it, she looked up, surprised to see that the sun was already low in the horizon. She hadn't noticed the time passing so quickly, but the moderated use of her aura had clearly taken a lot more time than she had expected.

She stretched out her stiff limbs, noticing Weiss asleep on the ground next to her, a book lying open by her hand. Creeping towards Weiss, she awoke her with a kiss, pressing her chest against hers and straddling her hips. They lay like that for awhile, lips locked, breathing heavily.

"So, how did it go?" Weiss asked, cradling Alys. "I wanted to get your attention, but you were so focused and I didn't want to interrupt you."

"Look at the plants," Alys said with a grin. "It took awhile, but I got them to grow quite nicely," she said, pointing at one of the rosebushes that was vibrant with color, the large white roses blooming.

Weiss stared. "Wow," she breathed, impressed. "If you keep working at it, I wonder what you'll be able to do as you improve."

"Hopefully I'll be able to help my patients even more," Alys said, happy with Weiss' assessment. "If I keep improving, I could be really useful during surgeries and recoveries. Not to mention the fact that if I can eventually completely heal injuries some patients might not even need surgery."

Alys' stomach suddenly growled, hungry from skipping lunch. "Let's go get some food, Weiss. Where do you want to eat? We can go get some food downtown."

Weiss agreed, and they walked back into the house, grabbing their wallets and keys, and set off towards town, walking hand in hand.

The sun was nearly below the horizon when they arrived at the diner, the red glow reflecting on the large glass windows. The diner was a nothing fancy, but clean and respectable, serving a wide variety of foods.

They sat near the back, in one of the small booths. Weiss ordered fish and chips and Alys ordered some grilled mushrooms, requesting tea for both of them.

"So how long does aura take to recover?" Alys asked as they were waiting. "I'm pretty tired right now."

"It depends," Weiss said. "It's different for everyone. But it's just like your stamina; you'll be able to feel when your aura is low, and over time you'll recover your strength and it'll come back."

"That's not a very good answer," Alys said, chuckling.

"Like I said, it's different for everyone," Weiss responded, smiling.

The appetizer arrived, along with their two glasses of tea. They shared the shrimp, digging in.

"Once my aura is strong enough, will you train me?"

"Well, I specialize in rapier fighting. I don't know what weapons you want to use, but if you really want to learn how to fight, you should focus on strengthening your aura first. That will probably be the best way for you to get stronger."

Weiss picked up her glass and took a sip of her tea, the hot drink scalding her tongue. She pulled back, setting the drink down onto the table and frantically puffing air on her burned area.

"Here, let me get that for you," Alys said, leaning forward and kissing Weiss, slipping her tongue into her mouth.

"Mmmf?" Weiss asked, surprised.

Alys flared a bit of her aura and carefully concentrated on Weiss' tongue, trying to ignore the sensual tingling as they kissed. Hesitantly breaking contact, Alys smiled at the blushing Weiss.

"Did you really need to do that?" Weiss asked, the tips of her ears turning pink.

"Did it work?" Alys asked back.

Weiss didn't know what she meant at first, but then she realized that the burn wound on her tongue was healed, her sense of taste in that area returned.

"Wow," Weiss said, impressed. "Does it usually work that quickly?"

Alys shook her head, happy. "Nope," she grinned, taking another bite of food.

* * *

Encouraged by her success, she continued training, her stamina increasing. After a week, her entire garden was in bloom, bright and flowering despite the dropping temperatures.

Her ability became useful when a stab victim came into the hospital, barely holding onto life, a knife in his ribs. Alys put a hand on him, stemming the bleeding as she wheeled the patient to the operating room. While the surgeon performed surgery, Alys used bursts of her power to stem a bit of bleeding here and there, mending a bit of skin to hold the stitches together. The doctors were impressed, having seen her use her ability before but not in this sort of situation.

After the surgery Alys was exhausted, head spinning, but tremendously pleased with herself and elated from the praise given to her by the other doctors. As a faunus, she wasn't exactly accepted at the hospital, and many people outright shunned her, but after this a lot of the previously cold doctors warmed up to her, recognizing her usefulness.

The next day, Alys checked on her patient again, glad to see him conscious and already moving around. After making sure he was okay, she turned to leave the room, bumping into someone at the doorway.

Alys felt her skin prickle as she looked up at the person shouldering past her and entering the room. He had a visitor badge around his neck, but he wore soft cap with the front pulled low, shadowing his face. He had a grimy jacket on, with dark cargo pants, and smelled like alcohol and garbage.

Thus, she was ready when he pulled out a knife, immediately running at him and tackling him with her faunus speed. They collided with a grunt, both of them slamming into the IV stand and falling to the ground, tangled. The patient in the bed gasped and stared, frozen with fear as the two wrestled on the floor.

"You - stupid - bitch" the man hissed as he stabbed Alys, the switchblade penetrating into her abdomen.

Alys cried out in pain but didn't let go, flaring as much aura as she could and focusing on the assailant. He gave a little gasp and his fingers twitched, dropping his bloody knife on the ground and clutching his hands to his chest.

And then the security guards ran in, separating the two and handcuffing the man on the ground. As they pulled him up and dragged him away, he seemed to recover a little, beginning to thrash about as he ranted.

Blood was beginning to drip down her legs, staining her nurse uniform as the guards shouted for a doctor. As exhausted as she was, Alys pulled on the last dregs of her aura and tried to slow her bleeding, attempting to manually seal her blood vessels.

Things were a blur as doctors and nurses rushed in, lifting her onto a stretcher and this time wheeling her to the emergency room.

The pain was beginning to set in as the adrenaline faded. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," Alys muttered, clutching her stomach area.

One of the doctors gave her a shot of morphine and the pain lessened, Alys beginning to feel like she was floating.

"Thanks," Alys giggled, then promptly fell unconscious.

* * *

She woke up with Weiss asleep by her bed, head resting on the mattress and snoring a little. Alys looked at Weiss' sleeping face for a while, admiring her beauty, then patted her head.

"Hey Weiss," Alys said. "Thanks for being here."

Weiss blearily looked up, her tired eyes becoming alert as she focused on Alys.

"You're awake!" Weiss exclaimed, scrambling to get up. "I should get the nurse."

"Calm down," Alys soothed. "I'm already stabilized, I just need to heal on my own now. Calling a nurse will just annoy them; trust me, I work here."

Weiss sat back down, clutching Alys' hands. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Alyss nodded and focused, flaring a bit of her aura, and felt her wounds slowly begin to knit together. Exhausted, she relaxed again, sinking into the soft pillows.

"You know what I'm going to do, Weiss?" Alys asked.

Weiss was staring at her face, stroking Alys' palm with her thumb and sending shivers down her spine. "Mmm?" Weiss murmured.

Alys closed her eyes, breathing in Weiss' scent and taking comfort in her presence. "I'm going to take self-defense classes. Look at me, I can't even protect my own patients."

"Nonsense," Weiss said. "None of this was your fault, and you did a great job protecting him."

Alys rubbed the itchy wounds on her stomach, frowning a little. "If you call getting poked full of holes a great job," she scowled.

Weiss coughed, trying to cover up her laugh. "Well anyways, I think that's a great idea," Weiss said, changing the topic. "I'll feel a lot better if you can protect yourself."

"See? Even you think I'm helpless," Alys said in mock consternation. "That's it, I'm going to go join the army."

Weiss looked a little panicked. "W-wait," she said, worried, "the army sounds a little-"

"Kidding," Alys interrupted, laughing. "But you're still right," she said more seriously. "If I can't even handle a crazy hobo with a knife, then I'll be in a lot more trouble when something worse happens."

Weiss nodded, agreeing. "I'll help you in any way I can," she promised.

* * *

After that incident, Alys enrolled in a self defense class that took place on Saturdays and Wednesdays from 7 PM to 9 PM. The gym the class was being held in was also open twenty-four hours, allowing any members to stay and use the large space for whatever they wanted.

On the first day of class, Alys was surprised to find herself face-to-face with a gazelle faunus, horns poking out from under his tawny hair. His name was Aaron, and he began the class with a lecture about the dangers that one might find themselves in and how they would be able to deal with them after taking this class. He also had them all introduce themselves, Alys noticing that her other classmates were mostly female, with just one or two men.

The first lesson was just the demonstration of a few moves, tossing about hapless volunteers. Alys flared a bit of aura and tensed herself when he attempted to grab and throw her, and was surprised to find herself on the floor, staring up at Aaron. He smiled and held out a hand, helping her up.

After the lesson, he motioned for her to stay behind, wanting to speak to her. They sat down on the bleachers at the side of the gym, Aaron handing her a bottle of water and taking a sip from his own.

"Hey," Aaron said, "I couldn't help but notice that you were a faunus."

"What gave that away?" Alys asked, smiling.

Aaron chuckled. "There aren't many faunus around here, and it's always nice to meet one of our own," he explained. "I also noticed that you used a bit of your aura during our lesson."

Alys nodded, confirming his observation.

"Awesome," he said. "Okay, so are you interested in learning how to fight?" he asked.

"Of course," Alys said. "Why else would I be here?"

"Then don't do these self-defense lessons," Aaron stated bluntly. "These are just for people who want to learn a little about defense. If you really want to learn how to fight, I can teach you after the lessons. There will be a lot of people here, so you can also learn a lot from watching them."

"Why me?" Alys asked. "And how much will it cost me?"

"Nothing," Aaron responded, "And because you have faunus strength and an activated aura." He grew animated, explaining. "I train here and participate in mixed-martial-arts tournaments, and it would be great if I could take a student, especially a faunus student with a usable aura that actually wants to learn how to fight. With your speed and strength, you'll have a great chance at actually winning tournaments and rising in the rankings."

He paused for a second, thinking about his next words.

"And to be honest, I want to test myself," he admitted. "I want to see if I have the skill necessary to raise a student, and if I'm successful, I want to start my own school." He leaned back against the benches, sighing. "I work as a cashier during the day," he said. "This self-defense class is just a way to supplement my income. I don't want to keep working at a boring day job for the rest of my life; I want to do something I enjoy, something that's my passion. The more tournaments we win, the higher in the standings we go, the more fame we earn..."

He trailed off, looking at the ceiling. "But that's all in the future," he said, coming back to reality. "Look at me, daydreaming when you haven't even agreed to become my pupil yet."

"So why are you telling me all this?" Alys asked, curious.

"I don't know," Aaron said. "Maybe I feel that I can relate to you better because you're a faunus. Because you understand the discrimination we face and how hard we work to prove ourselves to the world."

"Then count me in," Alys said, grinning.

"Yes!" Aaron fist-pumped, jumping up in delight.

Alys suddenly had a thought. "Wait, when are we going to train? I work at the hospital from morning to around five."

Aaron hummed, thinking. "See if you can get your shift moved up," he said. "The more time we spend training, the better. But even if you can't, we can still have our lessons at night."

"Alright," Alys said. "I'll see what I can do."

She looked around, seeing people entering the gym and setting up mats, some of them bringing in weights and hanging up punching bags. Aaron saw her looking and pointed them out, telling her what each of them were doing. Some people started sparring while others practiced their moves by themselves, wearing weighted vests or weights strapped onto their wrists and ankles.

They looked intimidating, and Alys was beginning to have doubts. "Do you really think I could be like... that?" she asked, pointing out a pair who were sparring, their fists and legs blurring as they danced across the floor.

"You'll be even better," Aaron said. "You'll have the benefit of faunus strength along with the power of your aura."

Alys stood up. "Well then, we'd better get started."

"That's the spirit!" Aaron said happily, clasping her shoulder and leading her down the bleachers.

Shaking a little from excitement, Alys stepped off the bleachers and onto the mats.

* * *

**Note:**

**Ohohoho!**

**So I originally said, "no imma focus on ruby, other people too far"**

**Except I realized that having gigantic timeframes where we have no idea what has been going on with Alys and the gang is probably not a good idea. So I decided to tell their stories too, so this act may be a little longer than expected.**

**I hope you guys don't mind the change of pace.**

**And sorry if these are released a little late in the day, I'm really busy right now, spending all my free time writing this (and burning into my sleep time too haha)**

**Once again, thank you for reading, rate and review!**


	34. Fight

Alys eventually did get her shift moved, starting earlier in the morning and ending before five. Each day after arriving home, she ate a quick dinner and changed into exercise shorts and a tank top, then ran to the gym. She trained from six to twelve, getting home late and collapsing into bed.

Weiss was worried at first, coming to her practices whenever she could so she could hover over Alys, but eventually she also warmed up to the idea, Alys learning how to fight giving her a secure feeling. She cheered for them when they sparred, egging them on. Whenever she was able to stay with Alys, she helped run up a bath for her when they got home and give her a massage.

At first, Alys was reluctant to hit back. After all, it was in her nature to help people, not hurt them. But after seeing her reluctance, Aaron gave her a stern talking-to about sportsmanship and respecting one's opponents. Alys nodded, understanding his words, and realizing herself that hesitation would completely cripple her attempts to defend others. If she had hesitated to stop the knife-wielding attacker, her patient would have been dead before she could have done anything.

As she continued training, she learned to fight back and to be more aggressive, overriding her doe faunus nature. Whenever she felt bad about kicking or punching her opponent, she reminded herself that Ruby and Weiss both knew how to fight without hesitating, and that gave them the strength to protect her.

During her day job, she kept practicing her aura, having practiced enough to use it on patients in carefully controlled amounts. She visited the medical wards, healing minor wounds and sometimes assisting in surgeries. Her endurance kept improving, that amount of aura she could wield increasing. This improvement also helped her during her training, giving her more strength and stamina as Aaron pushed her through exercises and sets of moves.

Her increased ability was tested a few times when she encountered patients that were in critical condition and required immediate medical attention. By expending nearly all of her aura, Alys was able to instantly close gaping wounds by stitching blood vessels and muscles together. As the weeks went by and Alys continued to demonstrate her ability, she gained began to gain a reputation.

The turning point came when a car bomb was set off downtown. Alys was jogging to the gym, having already stopped by her house to eat and change, when she heard the explosion. Flaring her aura, she dashed towards the sound, her medical background screaming at her to go help any potential victims.

The blast had caught six bystanders, two of them too severely injured for Alys to save. Two more were unconscious, blood pouring from the ragged remains of the their limbs and torso. The other two were far enough to have only caught shrapnel wounds, clutching their arms and torsos where the metal shards had penetrated.

Ripping off bits of their clothing, Alys stemmed the bleeding to their limbs, then closed the open blood vessels. By this time, the police and paramedics had arrived, responding quickly to the disturbance. The paramedics recognized Alys, having seen her before in the emergency rooms. With her help they treated the worst of the injuries on-site, taking out the pieces of shrapnel and having Alys close their wounds. By the time the victims were stabilized enough to be moved onto the ambulances, Alys was deathly tired, stumbling into the front seat of the rescue vehicle and falling asleep as they were transported to the hospital.

Security cameras and the news reporters that had arrived while they were treating the survivors had captured the whole scene, catapulting Alys into the spotlight. The mysterious aura user that could heal severe injuries was a juicy news topic, the media combining the bombing event with Ays. Alys found herself the subject of attention as she was bombarded with requests for interviews and requests to heal ailing relatives, her mailbox being filled with envelopes.

Alys knew she couldn't possibly help everyone, so she accepted one interview to clear up some misconceptions and politely ask people to stop bothering her. The hospital director gave her a raise immediately after this event, afraid that Alys would leave their hospital and accept a better offer from somewhere else. Alys knew she would have stayed here anyways for Weiss, but she graciously took the extra income.

Refusing to let the fame get to her head, she kept up her training.

One day, a month after she had begun to take lessons with Aaron, Weiss remarked on how ironic it was to be learning how to fight while also being called a miracle worker.

"This is a sport," Alys said, frowning, slamming a flurry of knee strikes and elbow jabs into the punching bag.

"I know, I know, I just wanted to point it out," Weiss chuckled.

And then Aaron arrived, with news about an amateur tournament in Vale two weeks from today.

"It's being held deep in the residential district," he explained. "The tournament is a two-day event, starting Saturday afternoon and ending Sunday evening. If you want to go, we'll take a train there and rent a hotel room."

Alys was about to happily agree, glad to have the opportunity to prove herself, when Weiss tugged on her elbow, a worried expression on her face.

"Sorry, give us a second," Alys said, following Weiss to a corner.

"Alys, there are two things I don't like about this," Weiss said, distressed. "One is that I can't bear to see you hurt, and two is that I don't think this trip is a good idea."

"Weiss, you've watched us spar every day," Alys pointed out. "Why is this a problem now?'

"Because you've just been training," Weiss said, "Aaron is a decent person and he's teaching you how to fight. But against other people, they'll want to hurt you, to beat you down, and I don't know if I'll be able to watch that happen."

"Then don't come," Alys said gently, "You don't need to watch."

"But if I don't look out for you, then I'll always be wondering if you've been injured or maimed, and if I could have done something had I been there," Weiss worried. "Not to mention that this district isn't very safe, not after the White Fang attacks."

"They don't even know for sure if it was the White Fang," Alys protested. "The car bomb could have been the work of any other terrorist group."

"Oh yeah?" Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow. "Name one."

"Uhhh, well," Alys fumbled, "there's the, uh..."

"Exactly."

Alys sighed and leaned forward, the two embracing. "Weiss, like I said before, this is just a sport. Think of my matches as just another sparring round. There's going to be referees who will step in, and I can always use my aura to take care of myself."

"You really want to do this, don't you?" Weiss relented.

"Yes," Alys whispered. "I need to show people that I'm not just a helpful nurse, or a fragile little faunus. I want to be strong, Weiss."

"Alright," Weiss said, hugging her tighter. "But I'm coming with you, just in case the train gets taken over by the White Fang or something."

"That would be bad," Alys laughed, and kissed Weiss.

* * *

Alys gave her decision to Aaron a few minutes later, her face a little flushed and her hair messy. Aaron looked amused as he nodded, handing Alys a tablet and telling her to enter her name and signature, then check out the tournament details.

Alys scrolled through the tablet, reading the rules. They were standard tournament regulations, and enrollment in the tournament was allowed to both faunus and humans. She was going to enter the flyweight category, being a couple of pounds under the weight limit. The money award was small, as it was just an amateur tournament, but the real prize was automatic sign-up into one of the larger, professional tournaments, the top three places having the entrance fee waived and getting a bye in the first round.

The two weeks passed quickly in a blur of preparation, Alys staying a little later every night and continuing her job at the hospital. Three days before the event, Aaron told her to take a break and get some rest.

"You should focus on your day job and sleep earlier," Aaron said. "This way you'll be in top shape when you compete."

"Don't people usually look at videos of their opponents or something?" Alys asked.

"You don't need to do that for this tournament," Aaron said. "Most of people there will also be new contenders, and frankly, at this skill level, watching videos probably won't do you any good."

Alys nodded and went back home, taking a long shower and eating some food before falling asleep. The next day she told her supervisors that she would be gone for the weekend, away from home, and wouldn't be available. They looked a little disappointed but they accepted it, taking her name off of the list of emergency responders.

She spent her Thursday lightly punching the bag she had set up in her living room, going over techniques and strikes in her mind. Friday night Weiss picked her up from the hospital, and they watched a movie together on the couch.

They got up early Saturday morning and packed a few clothes and essentials, waiting at the house for Aaron to pick them up. He arrived in a small grey sedan and drove them to the train station, parking his car in the lot.

They bought tickets and boarded the train. It would be a two hour trip, and Alys was beginning to feel a bit jittery. Weiss sensed her nervousness and hugged her, both of them falling asleep together in each other's arms.

Aaron woke the up when they arrived. They went into the city and rented a hotel room near the large gym where the tournament was taking place, stopping by a small restaurant, where Alys managed to choke down a bit of food.

The three walked together to the large grey building, a banner on the front proclaiming the fighting event along with a list of exhibition matches on the side. A lot of people had already arrived, the crowd gathered outside and streaming into the entrance, their names being checked off on the lists.

The inside was brightly lit and well organized, stands of bleachers on the sides and eight large octagonal cages spread throughout the gym. The three continued walking, Aaron pointing out where the changing rooms and weighing area were. Past a certain point, only the competitors were allowed, so Weiss gave her a kiss for luck and Alys walked inside the locker rooms to change.

As Alys stripped off her clothes, she looked around the female locker room and saw that there were a few faunus. None of the humans paid attention to them, however, faunus clearly being a common sight in fighting tournaments. She put on a pair of shorts and a tight-fitting tank top, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. _  
_

She sat in the waiting area for awhile, watching the matches begin on the screens in the waiting room. Two hours before her match, the called her in for the weigh-in. She stood on the cold metal scale, shivering a bit from excitement, her ears twitching. She easily passed, her weight being a few pounds under the limit.

Going back to the locker room, she slipped on a jacket and went outside to meet up with Aaron and Weiss to tell them the good news.

"Do you want to eat anything?" Aaron asked. "We have two hours, so if we eat something now it should be fine."

Alys shook her head, her stomach feeling too fluttery to hold anything down. "If I ate anything right now, I'd throw up," she confessed.

Weiss looked worried again, so Alys smiled at her and tried to push her nausea down.

"Don't worry," Aaron soothed. "You've been preparing for this for a long time. Just knock them down, your aura and faunus strength will give you a huge advantage over most of the other competitors. Tap out if you feel unsafe; remember that you're just here to test your strength and get a taste for this type of fighting."

Alys nodded, trying to calm herself.

"But in all honesty," Aaron added, "I think you have a good chance. Your natural ability puts you heads and shoulders above your competitors. Just remember what I've taught you."

Weiss didn't really know what to say, and she didn't want to make Alys even more nervous, so she just gave a her a hug. "This might sound a little paradoxical, but stay safe, Alys."

* * *

The ring was bright, the white floor reflecting the overhead lights as Alys stepped into the cage. Her opponent, a slender human about the same age as her, shifted his weight from foot to foot as he watched her from the other side of the ring. The metal door slammed shut, and the referee gave the signal to begin.

And then he was on her, prancing forward and throwing a punch at her face. Alys was surprised and instinctively ducked, going under his fist and slamming an elbow into his stomach, following through and cracking his ribs with her knuckles as she swung her forearm into his chest.

He fell to his knees, gasping, as Alys backed off, unsure of what to do. He slowly stood up, signaling to the referee he was okay, and crouched, putting his guard up. Alys stepped forward, pivoting, and slammed a roundhouse into the side of his head. The few people in the crowd who had been watching ooh'd and aah'd at her well-executed kick as her opponent went unconscious, toppling over and collapsing onto the mat. The referee declared her the winner, and Alys happily left the cage.

"I knew you could do it," Aaron grinned, slapping her back.

Weiss had been watching, her heartbeat going to dangerous levels when Alys had barely dodged the first punch. Not noticing her worry, Alys jumped into her arms and hugged her.

"I did it," Alys said happily. "See? Perfectly fine."

Weiss relaxed a bit, enjoying Alys' delighted expression. "I'm still worried, but that was awesome," Weiss said, returning her grin.

Her next round was against a human girl, also going smoothly as Alys blocked her first blow and kneed her in the stomach, then sent an elbow into her jaw and knocked her out. Alys' faunus strength simply outmatched her amateur human opponents, their own strength unable to block her blows.

Alys' fourth round was more difficult, her opponent being a wolf faunus girl. Alys tried to knee her but she shrugged off the blows, the wolf cinching her arms and shoulders and slamming her into the metal cage, rattling it. Alys tried to free herself, squirming, but the wolf faunus held on and hit her with knee strikes and elbows, her hold preventing Alys from getting away.

Alys felt the blows, their faunus strengths matching up. Her head spun a bit as the wind was knocked out of her, her muscles weakening as she tried to hold herself up. She beat at the wolf ineffectively, the elbows slamming into the wolf's ribs just producing a grunt, the wolf faunus' barrage of blows never stopping.

She heard Weiss shout from the crowd as she started slipping under, and she grew desperate, flaring her aura.  _I should have done this earlier_ , Alys thought to herself, resolving never to make the same mistake again. Her strength surged, a faint green glow around her, and she grabbed the wolf's shoulders, a look of surprise coming into her eyes as Alys shoved her back, pushing off from the wall of the cage.

The wolf stumbled a bit, and Alys leapt off of the wall, landing on one foot and throwing a side kick at the wolf. The wolf faunus flinched back, Alys' foot barely missing her face, then Alys jumped forward and slammed her shoulder into the wolf faunus, sending the two flying back into the other side of the cage, this time with Alys on top.

Alys backed up a step, making room for her swing, then slid past the wolf's guard and uppercutted her jaw. The wolf went limp, falling to her knees with her head bowed to the ground, struggling to stand. She grabbed onto the side of the cage, trying to push herself up, but the referee frowned, whistling as he pointed to her hand. The wolf faunus let go and instantly collapsed back down again, and the referee ended the match, declaring Alys as the winner.

Aaron and Weiss were waiting for her as she exited the cage, wrapping a towel around her sweaty shoulders and giving her a jacket.

"Seems you went for the brute-force option there at the end," Aaron grinned.

Alys sighed, her midsection feeling bruised. "I didn't really want to use my aura," she explained, "but she was just so much stronger than me."

"Your aura is part of you," Weiss interrupted, frowning. "It isn't just one of your weapons, it literally defines who you are. Don't be afraid of using it." Her face softened a bit. "I really don't want to see you hurt, Alys."

"Okay," Alys said, nodding, "I'll use my aura the next time."

"You'll need to in the future," Aaron said. "You won't have easy opponents like this when you participate in the professional tournaments. Nearly everyone there uses aura, and around half of the participants are faunus."

"What do you mean 'when'?" Alys asked. "What makes you so sure I'm going to get into those tournaments?"

Aaron looked surprised. "Haven't you been looking at the standings?"

"Uh, no?" Alys responded, glancing around.

"You're currently in the finals match," Weiss told her. "How many rounds were you expecting to fight today?" she teased, laughing.

"The finals are tomorrow in the afternoon," Aaron said. "They're going to finish the rest of the weight classes in the morning, and then have the final matches afterwards."

"Who's my opponent?" Alys wondered.

"I'll go check her out, but I think her name was Orphea," Aaron said, trying to remember. "She's human, but she uses aura, so you should be careful."

Alys nodded, a bit eager to see how someone with aura would face up against her.

"You should go get some rest," Weiss said, looking at the bruises on Alys' stomach. "Can you heal those?"

Although she was physically tired, her aura reserves were still high, so Alys focused, concentrating on her injuries. The purpling marks faded to a pale yellow, and Alys panted a bit, pleased with herself.

Aaron whistled. "Wow," he remarked. "I heard the rumors and saw the news, but it's definitely different seeing it in person."

It was now already evening, and the last matches of the day were currently going on.

"Some food, and then sleep," Weiss said firmly, herding Alys back to the locker rooms. "You need to change, and then we'll go back to the hotel and rest."

After Alys swapped on a fresh pair of clothes, they went out for dinner. The restaurant was nice and the food was good, but Alys almost faceplanted into her food a few times, Weiss barely pulling her up in time as she fell asleep while eating.

She was nearly unconscious when she stumbled back into the hotel room, the day's events having completely exhausted her. Thoughts swirling incomprehensibly in her head, she tried to think about the next day as she collapsed into the soft covers and nodded off.

* * *

**Note:**

**Clearing up some stuff:**

**Weiss still is training at Beacon, the four years aren't up yet. However, she spends her free time (or as much of it as possible) trying to be with Alys, so after her lessons during the evening sometimes, and then definitely from friday night to monday morning.**

**Also, I responded earlier to a user about the chain of events that led Alys to this, and I thought this might clear some things up:**

**Logical sequence of events:**

**Retrograde Amnesia (common form and leads to return of memories) - Nightmares -One night wakes up thinking about how she wasn't able to protect Ruby, if only she had been stronger Ruby wouldn't have been taken - Developing her only strength at this point, which is her aura - Helped save a patient who had been targeted with an attack - Patient lives - person comes back to finish job - Alys checking on her handiwork with patient when man comes in - Instinctive reaction to defend stemming from her overall realized goal of trying to be able to protect people instead of being sheltered by Weiss - Realizes own weaknesses - Decides to improve physical strength too, knows she has an advantage as a faunus - self-defense class run by a faunus (seems appropriate, they are the ones who have greater than normal strength, more fighting in their cultures, animal - dominance traits like wolves fighting for hierarchy, horses fighting for positions in the wild, deer, elk, tons of mammals, etc) - Sees Alys as a faunus, rare opportunity, even greater when he sees that she has aura, sees her as a test and a ticket out, also it honestly probably gets pretty boring just running a small self-defense class and working a menial day job - Alys is a bit of risk-taker right now, memories of her earlier fight along with returned memories of not being able to protect - Agrees to let him tutor her - She doesn't exactly want to be a martial artist, but its more like seeing this as a great way to learn how to fight, also she is a bit suckered by Aaron's proclaimed, as she is a faunus herself and she also knows the feeling of longing to prove herself (see how she was so happy with praise from the doctors), so she decides to help him too, also if she passes all these tests, proving herself against other peoples, she won't have to rely on Weiss anymore**

**Also, in general, I think Ruby and Alys are pretty dang scarred from their experience. Loves ripped away, and both learning that they can't protect anyone unless they get stronger...**

**So yeah, read, review, and send me messages, I want to hear all your critique!**


	35. Finals

Alys stood up, stretching. It was the last day of the tournament, and she was a little nervous about her match against Orphea. Aaron had gotten a little more information about her, learning that she had completely crushed her opposition with her aura, easily defeating human and faunus alike. Other than that there wasn't any information, and searches for her turned up nothing about her past. It seemed that she was also one of the newer contestants.

They had eaten a quick breakfast at a nearby cafe. Although Alys was nervous, she was also quite hungry, having spent a lot of her energy the previous day. Weiss finished up her omelet and also got up, walking with Alys to the exit, where Aaron waited for them.

The three walked down the streets, the weather now quite chilly. A few minutes later, they reached the gym. People had already began arriving, some walking and others being dropped off. Most of the fighters had already been eliminated, but they still came to watch the final rounds.

Alys felt a little queasy when she walked into the gym and saw the huge amount of spectators. All but one of the cages had been taken down, each final match being held individually. Bleachers had been fully stretched out, and the empty spaces were filled with folding chairs, giving the crowd ample space to sit and spectate the match. A large screen was set up on one of the walls, displaying the upcoming matches and portraits of the fighters. The gym was growing noisy, people buzzing excitedly as they waited for the matches to begin.

The final fights were to go in order by weight division, from the heaviest to the lightest. Alys' round was last, so she still had a few hours until her weigh-in. She sat down with Aaron and Weiss, trying to calm down and focus.

"Take a good look," Aaron said pointing to the screen on the wall. "You might be up against some of those people at the professional tournament. Watch how they fight and note down anyone who seems strong."

Alys nodded, not recognizing any of the portraits on the screen. Her own face with paired with Orphea's, and she finally got her first good look at her opponent's face. Orphea had light black hair and large amethyst eyes, the picture showing her lips slightly curved in a confident smile. After seeing her appearance, Alys could understand why so many people in the crowd were holding up signs cheering for Orphea or asking for her hand in marriage.

The video screen played highlights of the previous day as the first round of fighters prepared themselves. The replays didn't reveal much, as they mostly just showed the moment of victory or the final attack, but Alys did see how Orphea just used brute strength to knock her opponents out, not bothering to use any moves or techniques but instead just punching them and aiming for their joints until they were too bruised to continue blocking.

Half an hour later, the first round began. The heavyweight class consisted of two hulking contestants, one a bull faunus and the other human. The noise level rose as bull walked into the gym and towards the cage, getting into position. The human walked in after him, looking calm as he mentally prepared himself.

Once both of them were in the cage, the referee gave the signal to begin. Both of them flared their auras, immediately charging at each other, swinging. The human slammed a knee into the bull faunus' middle, but the bull ignored it, continuing his charge and cinching the human.

They collided into the metal wall of the cage, and the bull faunus started smashing a fist into the human's head, each blow making the human's aura fade. He struggled weakly under the barrage, trying to throw a few hits back, but they were weak and ineffective and his legs eventually gave out, collapsing to the floor. The bull didn't stop, immediately dropping down and continuing to punch the human's head. The crowd roared, some of them cheering while others shouted for the human to get up.

The referee was about to stop them when the human suddenly dodged one of the punches, the bull's fist slamming into the floor with a thudding concussion as the human swung his head to the side. With a quick motion, he drew his legs back up to his chest, under the bull, and kicked out, sending the bull stumbling back as he flipped himself upright.

The two started circling each other, wary. The human pivoted and swung out with a roundhouse kick, but the bull raised an arm and blocked the kick, then slid his arm under the human's leg and grabbed it. The human was pulled off balance, hopping forward in a desperate attempt to avoid falling over, but he bull pushed forward and shoved the human down, putting him in a leg lock and hyperextending his knee.

The human tried to resist, trying to sit himself back up, but he eventually tapped out, wanting to end it before his knee was permanently damaged. The judge pulled the bull off and the human retracted his leg, hissing in pain as he cradled it. Applause rang out from the crowd as the bull pranced around the cage, bellowing in victory as the human was helped out of the arena, limping.

The next match was the light heavyweight division, two faunus battling it out. The match lasted five rounds, neither of the contestants willing to give up as their faces accumulated cuts and bruises, blood splattering onto the floor. At the end of the match, the winner was decided by the panel of judges, the result a draw.

Alys watched in fascination as the matches progressed. The lightweight class was especially notable, a monkey faunus landing a flying kick on a human by pushing off of the cage for extra momentum, then spinning and smashing an elbow into the human's temple, dropping him.

The featherweight classes were in progress when a judge tapped her on the shoulder, telling her to go change and do the final weigh-in.

"Good luck," Weiss and Aaron said simultaneously.

"They think you can't win," Aaron added. "No matter how much humans pretend they think differently, they want to see a little human girl take down a stronger, faster faunus."

Alys wondered where he was going with this.

"Don't let the crowd affect you. Give this match all you've got and prove them wrong," he declared, staring into her eyes with a fiery expression.

Alys gave him a little smile and nodded, heading to the locker room. The cheering of the crowd penetrated the walls as Alys changed, her hands trembling a little from nerves and excitement. After the weigh-in, she sat in one of the waiting areas, listening for the announcement that would be the signal for her to walk in.

The announcer called out her name and Alys stood up, taking a deep breath as she left the waiting area and walked into the gym, camera flashes momentarily blinding her as she walked through the door. She briefly wondered if any of her coworkers would see her fight, but banished that thought and all others as she entered the cage and took up her position at one end, trying to ignore the loud audience.

Orphea's name was announced, and she walked in, her amethyst eyes bright and a confident grin on her face. She was the same height as Alys, with a slim profile and wiry muscles, her light black hair in a short pony tail, her small chest perfectly suiting her overall image. The crowd roared upon seeing her, Orphea clearly being a fan favorite after her performance the day before. She raised a hand in acknowledgement, turning to the crowd on both sides and smiling. The cheers grew louder, and Alys heard someone scream "Marry me!" over of the din of noise.

The human girl's lips twitched a little as she heard the words, trying not to laugh as she stepped into the cage. They were positioned at opposite ends, their guards up and waiting for the referee to give his signal.

The moment the round started Alys immediately went all-out, flaring her aura and taking a step forward, then rotating her torso and gathering momentum, fist swinging toward the human as she put all of her force behind that one punch. Alys caught a glimpse of Orphea's eyes widening before the her fist slipped through the human girl's guard and slammed into her midsection, blowing her backward. Her body slammed into the metal wall of the cage with a loud rattle, her back to the metal fencing as she hit the floor and slumped over.

The crowd suddenly went silent, shocked by what had just happened. The referee began to walk toward Orphea, checking to see if she was conscious.

Orphea suddenly raised an arm, palm out, signaling to the referee that she was fine. The crowd renewed their cheering as Orphea raised her head and looked up at Alys, amethyst eyes glowing. There was a vibration in the air as Orphea's aura flared into existence around her, her body now shrouded in a steel-gray tinted with bright purple.

In a blur, Orphea was on Alys, slamming blow after blow into her, alternating with jabs and leg kicks. Alys could do nothing but defend herself, her aura being depleted as Orphea punched her over and over again, forcing Alys back into the wall of the cage. Their auras collided as Orphea kneed Alys in the stomach, the metal fencing behind Alys creaking as the force lifted her feet off the ground and hurled her into the sides of the cage.

Orphea continued this for awhile, each blow lifting Alys off her feet and bouncing her off of the wall behind her. Suddenly stopping, Orphea took a few steps back, taking advantage of Alys' disorientation from the blows. With a running leap, Orphea twisted in mid-air and slammed a flying kick into Alys' upraised arms, feeling a  _crack_  as her forearms fractured.

The wall's hinges couldn't take the abuse any longer. With a scream of tearing metal, the wall behind Alys collapsed, the kick sending her flying out of the cage. The audience cried out as Alys was blown back into the crowd, people scrambling out of their chairs as Alys smashed into the ground, the metal fencing clattering away from her.

Head spinning, Alys tried to stand up, her legs wobbly. The referee looked shocked and more than a little confused as Orphea turned and began to walk away, believing she had won. The crowd let out a gasp, and Orphea spun around, surprised to see Alys standing back up, her aura encircling her arms as she healed the broken bones.

"I'm not going down that easily," Alys muttered, flaring her aura again as she walked back into the cage.

They ran at each other again, one of the cage walls missing, the referee deciding to let it play out. This time, Alys traded blows, focusing less on defense and more on offense as they punched, kicked, and elbowed each other.

The tide turned against Alys once again as her aura started flickering, running out. Orphea's aura was still glowing strongly, Orphea still having a lot more in reserve than Alys.

Then, with a palm strike to the head, Alys' aura cracked and fizzled out. She stumbled backwards, dazed, as Orphea raised her leg and landed a frontal kick in Alys' abdomen, sending her skidding across the floor and tumbling into one of the remaining metal walls.

Alys tried to stand up again, her muscles spasming as she gasped for breath, her vision going fuzzy. Letting out a resigned sigh, her legs failed her as she collapsed back onto the ground, exhausted. She stared at the ceiling, blinking the sweat out of her eyes as she listened to the referee declare Orphea the winner, the crowd going wild.

And then two purple eyes stared down at her as Orphea extended a hand, pulling Alys up.

"Thanks," Alys said, stumbling a bit, her legs still unable to support her.

Orphea shifted Alys onto her shoulder, bearing her weight. "That was a good fight, Alysonne," she said, grinning. "It's been awhile since I've had a good match with someone of my age."

"You completely crushed me," Alys admitted as they walked down the steps and toward the locker rooms. The crowd was cheering, camera flashes leaving behind starbursts in Alys' eyes. "You can call me Alys. Don't you have an award or something to pick up now?"

Orphea shook her head as she opened the door to the locker rooms, guiding Alys in. "The award ceremony takes place after our fight, in about thirty minutes."

They changed together, wiping off their sweat with towels and putting on track pants and t-shirts. As they sat there for awhile, talking, Alys learned that this was also Orphea's first tournament.

"I'm not actually supposed to be here," Orphea admitted. "I come from a family of musicians, and my parents completely disapprove of this."

Alys was startled. "What?"

"I started doing martial arts as a recreational activity," Orphea explained, "and my parents didn't really mind, thinking that it was just a harmless sport. When my aura suddenly activated, I started focusing more on martial arts. My parents wouldn't accept that, so now I'm here to win something and prove to them that I'm actually good at this." Orphea let out a sigh, staring at the ceiling, clearly relieved to have someone to talk to and confess to.

"Well, I work as a nurse," Alys said, smiling. "I'm also here to prove something to myself."

Orphea nodded. "I recognized you after I saw you heal your arms," she said. "Sorry about that, by the way."

Alys held out her arms, twisting them around and demonstrating how they weren't broken anymore. "Don't worry, they're as good as new."

"Hey, do you want to see something cool?" Orphea suddenly asked.

"Uh, sure," Alys said.

Orphea held up the edge of her jacket with her hands, stretching the thin fabric between her fingers. She softly sang one pure, clear note and the fabric instantly split, a perfectly straight cut appearing and the cloth parting.

"My semblance," Orphea stated.

Alys stared. "And I thought healing was cool," Alys said, awestruck.

"Well, it's more useful than my semblance in most cases," Orphea said modestly.

"You could be a surgeon," Alys suggested. "Perfect incisions every time."

Orphea shook her head with a smile and changed the topic. They talked for a little longer before Orphea looked up, checking the clock.

"We should start heading back," Orphea said, standing up. "The award ceremony is soon, and I'm sure you have people waiting for you."

"Come with me," Alys offered. "I'll introduce you to my friends."

They exited the locker room together, heading back into the crowd to wait a bit with Aaron and Weiss. People made way for the two, standing back at a safe distance while begging them for autographs at the same time. They both signed a few before finally reaching the two, sitting down with them and ignoring the people around them.

Weiss immediately hugged Alys upon seeing her, worried after seeing Orphea knock her out of the cage. "Are you okay, Alys?" she asked, checking her for signs of injury.

Alys hugged Weiss back, smiling. "I'm fine, I'm fine, stop embarrassing me," she laughed. "This is Orphea," she said, turning and introducing the purple-eyed girl.

Weiss narrowed her eyes at Orphea, then stuck out her hand. "I'm Weiss," she stated. "I still don't like how you hurt her, but I'm glad you two enjoyed yourselves."

"Nice to meet you," Orphea said, taking her hand and shaking it.

Aaron also introduced himself as Alys' trainer, discussing martial arts with Orphea for awhile before the award ceremony began.

The names of the top three were called up by weight class, with Alys' division going last. They were given medals and lien, bowing together as the crowd snapped photographs.

After the award ceremony was over, Orphea excused herself, needing to go home and tell her parents the good news. They traded contact information before leaving, promising to see each other at the next tournament.

"So, how was it?" Aaron asked as they walked back to the hotel.

"Surprisingly enjoyable," Alys said, grinning. "And I made a new friend."

"Glad you liked it," Aaron said. "Once we get back home, we need to start training for the upcoming tournament."

There was a sound of running footsteps, and someone yelled "Wait!".

Weiss spun around, reaching for Myrtenaster before remembering that she had left it back at the hotel, unable to bring it into the gym because of security reasons. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw a reporter running towards them, the cameraman struggling to keep up behind him.

"Do you think you could give us an interview?" the reporter asked, out of breath. "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you, the miracle nurse, participating in this fighting tournament."

Alys hesitated, about to refuse.

"Just a few statements," the reporter promised. "I just want your feelings on the final match and your plans for the next tournament."

"Alright," Alys conceded, realizing that the fastest way to get him to leave was to answer his questions.

The cameraman began to record as the reporter repeated the question and pointed the microphone towards her.

"It was a good fight," Alys said, "And I learned a lot. As for my plans, well, I'm going to train hard and keep improving, and see where I go from there."

The reporter nodded and spoke a few more words into the camera before motioning for the filming to stop. He thanked her for her time and they walked away, looking for more people to interview.

* * *

The train ride home was uneventful, the three arriving safely. Aaron dropped the pair off at Alys' house, reminding her that training would be begin again in three days. Alys groaned good-naturedly and Aaron laughed, driving off.

Alys was beginning to feel sore, the last fight's bruises and injuries becoming more noticeable as her adrenaline and excitement began to fade.

"I need a hot bath," Alys groaned, plopping herself down on the couch.

"I'll set it up for you," Weiss said. "Just take a nap or something."

Alys smiled gratefully as Weiss rushed off to the bathroom, hearing the faucet beginning to run. She had dozed off when Weiss gently shook her awake, telling her that the bath was ready. Weiss helped her to the bathroom, where she began to strip off her clothes.

She stared at her for a little, flushing when Alys caught her looking. Alys pulled off the rest of her clothes slowly and seductively, grinning when Weiss coughed and turned away, opening the door to leave.

"Come on, we can take a bath together," Alys whispered, sliding her arms around Weiss' chest and pressing her breasts against her.

Weiss gulped and managed to blush even deeper, but she quickly took off her jacket and clothes, eager to join Alys. They slipped into the tub together, forgoing all pretense of bathing as they slid against each other, kissing and moaning, their skin slippery and warm as they made love. Water spilled out of the tub as Weiss made Alys pant and writhe, then Alys did the same to her, sounds of pleasure filling the bathroom.

The two got out of the bathtub quite a while later, deliciously exhausted. They shared a large robe, caressing and kissing underneath it as they tumbled onto the couch, falling asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

**Note:**

**Boom, sorry for later release, these are taking awhile.**

**I think the interlude is closing up, depending on how much I can get written tomorrow.**

**So, response to a question about what the faunus downsides are, seeing as how they seem to be so much better than humans in so many ways:**

**It hasn't been mentioned what their downsides are yet in the show, but I have a theory as to why humans are currently able to oppress them.**

**Because of their natural abilities, they found it easier to live without advanced technology. While they could just run down prey or heal quickly or survive off of vegetation, humans had to build shelters, farming equipment, weapons to hunt, etc. Also, because humans were so much weaker than faunus, they had to develop deadlier and stronger weapons, to regain an advantage. Therefore, while the faunus were living in tribes (sort of analogous to Native Americans) and living off the land, we see humans (like Europeans) developing more and more technology, eventually have the manpower and guns to crush the faunus in wars and defeat them (see: Native Americans again). After that, they forced the faunus to live in the Menagerie, as mentioned by the show, and there they had horrible living conditions and many died, and not many of them were able to reproduce in such hard conditions. Thus, humans became the dominant power, and faunus have been trying to get back their rights ever since.**


	36. Intermission(again): An Apology

Sorry, I probably won't have a story out today, as I'm doing my college applications and I'm on the border of the deadline. Hopefully there will be a chapter tomorrow. This weekend is really busy for me, and so I won't have the time to write chapters that are the quality I'd like them to be.

But I might have time to answer questions, so just send any to me or anything, and once again, I'm sorry ;_;


	37. The Tournament

Word spread around quickly at the hospital about her second-place win at the amateur fighting tournament. The reporter had apparently been working for a large media network, and had been delighted to find more news about the "miracle nurse" that had been at the site of the terrorist attack.

Oddly enough, people started talking to her more now, noticing her as a person and not just an object of interest. Although they were careful not to intrude on her personal space, Alys' coworkers were a lot of more friendly, most of them beginning to overlook her faunus nature. Alys had to smile whenever someone joked with her, saying things like "Woah don't punch me" in the middle of a argument and instantly defusing the tension. Whenever her sensitive ears picked up snippets of conversation, hearing her fellow nurses saying things such as "I'd totally let her kick my ass", she blushed and walked away, embarrassed yet also a little pleased on the inside that people finally seemed to be accepting her.

Alys continued training her aura, but things had started to slow down, a few days of training only resulting in minuscule improvements. Keeping her garden in bloom was easy enough, but she still grew tired after healing a few major injuries, needing to rest for awhile before her aura recovered. She agonized about this for a few days, wondering if this was the end to her fighting career, and wondering if this was the extent of her abilities.

After wallowing in self-pity for a few days, she tried something different, this time instead trying to drain the plant, wondering if she could recover her aura if she flipped the process around. The plant wilted a tiny little bit, but Alys just felt even more tired, having spent more energy trying to harm the plant than she would have spent trying to heal it.

Weiss noticed her depression and talked to her about it, Alys spilling out her fear that this was her limit, and that she'd never be as strong as Ruby or Weiss.

"You're already plenty strong," Weiss said, stroking her hair and trying to comfort her.

"Don't lie to me," Alys cried, her voice a little muffled as she buried her head in Weiss' chest. "I was there when I saw the four of you fight Ruby. I saw you set up that gigantic barrier that Ruby couldn't even break through. And Ruby was able to take down all of those androids, but you three still defeated her."

"Not everything is about aura," Weiss soothed. "And Ruby had a scythe-gun, while you're just fighting by hand."

"Your glyphs are made with aura and you told me Yang can create fire and Blake leaves behind mirages," Alys said grumpily, sitting back and wiping off her tears. "And I've seen you move before; you're faster than me too."

"You've only been training for a few months," Weiss cautioned. "Don't expect too much out of yourself. We've been training since childhood, and I've been put through so many tests..." She trailed off, absentmindedly rubbing her scar.

Alys sighed, leaning into Weiss. "You're right," she admitted. "I'm being too arrogant. I can't expect to catch up to you in such a short amount of time, and I'm being insensitive by not respecting your past. Sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Weiss said. "I understand your frustration. And think, your instant healing is a huge advantage in fights, and you're improving by leaps and bounds in hand-to-hand combat. If you master those techniques, it won't matter how much aura they have if you can outmaneuver them and take them down."

Alys nodded, feeling a little better. "I still think you're downplaying the usefulness of aura, but I guess I can concentrate on my physical strength and speed instead."

So Alys continued her physical training with Aaron, alternating between strength training and getting fighting experience by sparring with the other people at the gym. She even managed to push Aaron far enough that he was forced to bring out his aura, a burnt-orange glare surrounding him as he fended off her attacks. In a huge burst of speed, he swept her legs out from under her and pinned her to the ground.

"Hah, I got you!" Alys crowed triumphantly as Aaron rolled off of her.

"What are you talking about?" Aaron said indignantly, brushing himself off.

Alys grinned. "I made you use your aura."

Aaron laughed. "I guess you did," he admitted. "Your progress is astounding, Alys. At this rate, I think you'll surpass me soon enough."

She just shook her head, knowing on the inside that her progress would be much slower now that her aura had stopped increasing.

* * *

The months passed and the professional tournament soon came up. Alys was feeling excited, hoping to meet Orphea again and possibly have a rematch. The tournament was taking place in the upper-class district, a large amount of paid spectators coming to the the event.

This time they took an airship there, the distance making travel by train impractical. It was Alys' first time being on an airship, and she stared wide-eyed the whole time, the gigantic vehicle with its spacious interior and large windows astounding her. Even Weiss was affected by her enthusiasm, even though she had taken countless airship and hoverjet rides as part of her duties of being the Schnee Dust Company heir.

The venue was huge, swarming with watchers and contestants. Luckily, Aaron had the foresight to book a hotel room immediately after Alys had been entered into this tournament, the rest of the available rooms in all the hotels near the venue having quickly filled up afterwards. The setup of the arena was similar to the previous tournament Alys had gone to, but on a much larger scale. Cages made out of distinctive steelsilk mesh were scattered throughout a pavilion, the cages nearly twice as large as the previous ones Alys had fought in. Each cage was on a raised platform, overhead lights shining down on them to illuminate the fighters if needed. The pavilion contained cafes, each serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with booths set up for advertising companies or other activities. Overall, it seemed more like a giant festival than just a fighting tournament.

The tournament was a four-day event, with over a hundred participants for each weight division. A collection of skilled fighters gathered from various areas in Vale were to compete, and Alys felt excited just to be included in that number.

They had arrived a day earlier than the event to give themselves a chance to get used to the outdoor conditions, and Alys saw a lot of potential contestants also walking around the city, Aaron pointing out a few notable ones to her. The city seemed to have also been caught up in the event, banners advertising the tournament hung up everywhere and the city filled with tourists.

The three went back to the hotel room a bit earlier to get some rest before the next day. The hotel room was huge, nearly the size of an apartment, with a majestic poster bed and large bathroom that had a phenomenal marble bathtub. Alys and Weiss had some fun in there, relieving a bit of stress before the big event. After that, Alys spent a little while talking with Weiss about her future, wondering if she would continue fighting or eventually become a doctor. Weiss fell asleep before Alys did, with Alys staying up a little while longer to nervously search up her possible opponents on her tablet. She spent some time checking out her matchup for the next day before forcing herself to put down the tablet and close her eyes.

The next morning she woke up completely awake, her nerves tingling as she sat upright, her mind racing as she realized that the tournament was today. She sat in bed for awhile before Aaron knocked on their door, telling them to wake up. Shaking Weiss awake, she made sure her pajamas were covering her before going to the door and opening it. Aaron held out a pair of shorts and a tank top to her.

"What is this?" Alys asked, taking the clothing from his hand and examining it.

"These clothes finally arrived," Aaron said. "I was afraid wouldn't get to your house on time, so I had them rerouted and sent here. Remember when I told you I'd take care of those sponsor offers? These are the regulation clothes for the tournament and they also display the logos of the companies that are sponsoring you."

"Sponsoring?" Alys asked. "Since when?"

"You didn't think I'd pay for a first-class airship ride and a five-star hotel room out of my own pocket, did you?" Aaron responded, chuckling. "I barely make ends meet as is. Some of the money we get from our sponsors goes to paying for our equipment, some of it is invested, and of course, I'm saving up a bit for the school I plan on opening up. You can ask for your share at any time; it's in a separate account."

"That's actually pretty cool," Alys said, eyeing the black clothing that was emblazoned with colorful brand names.

Aaron looked relieved, glad to have made the right decision. "And another thing," he added. "Change into your clothing right now, then put on a jacket and some track pants. The locker rooms will probably be crowded, considering the number of contestants, so you can change now to avoid the hassle."

Alys nodded and began to close the door when she realized what Aaron was wearing. "Wait, do your shorts also have sponsors on them?"

"Of course," Aaron said. "I'm also going to participate in this tournament. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate my ability and perhaps even win something."

Alys stared. "You didn't tell me."

Aaron looked sheepish. "I guess it slipped my mind," he said, "and I thought it was pretty obvious. This is the biggest tournament of the year, so I definitely wasn't going to miss it."

"Well, I hope I don't go against you," Alys said, feeling even more nervous now.

"I'm two weight divisions higher than you, so no, you won't."

"Will my opponents be as good as you?"

"Eh, probably not," Aaron said truthfully. "I think you'll get pretty far. You should change now, and then we'll eat some breakfast before we go."

He shut the door and Alys began changing, Weiss yawning and stretching.

"Hey look, Weiss," Alys said, pointing at the new apparel she was wearing. "Sponsors!"

Weiss looked impressed. "Some of those are pretty big companies," Weiss said, getting up and closely looking over each logo.

Weiss' face got a little close to her chest, so Alys arched her back a little more, raising an eyebrow. "You like what you see?" Alys teased, stroking her hands over her firm body.

Weiss realized what position she was in and blushed, quickly standing up. "Come on," she said, cheeks pink, "No more messing around. Let's get changed and eat some food so we're not late to your weigh-in.""

Aaron told Weiss over breakfast that he was also participating, and she took it in a stride, finding it quite logical. The five-star hotel's food was delicious, Alys able to order a custom-made omelet that the chef prepared on the spot.

"This is probably not the right time to ask, but isn't it a bit weird that you're eating animal eggs?" Weiss wondered.

Alys grinned, shaking her head. "In terms of physiology, faunus are basically humans with a few added benefits and some other animal traits," she said, pointing to her ears and Aaron's horns. "And besides, eggs are rich in nutrition and an easy source of food, so plenty of animals eat the eggs of other animals."

They finished breakfast quickly and walked to the tournament grounds, which were quite close to the hotel. Aaron and Alys immediately set off for the changing rooms and the weigh-in areas, Weiss deciding to walk around a bit and look at the booths before the matches started.

Alys still easily passed the weigh-in, despite having gained a few pounds of muscle, and then the two were directed to a waiting room. Aaron was called out to fight first. Alys only had one match for the day, having gotten a bye from the amateur tournament, so she sat in the waiting room for awhile, watching matches on the video screen as she waited for her turn. Just as Alys saw the results of Aaron's fight on the screen, seeing that he had won the match, a judge came in and called her name.

"You're up," he said, handing her a pair of padded fingerless gloves.

Alys slipped them on and follow him out of the room. The crowd parted for the official and snapped photos of her as she walked to her cage, stretching a bit and loosening up her tense muscles. The large open steelsilk cage rose up in front of her, the silvery mesh walls nearly twice as tall as her. A panel of three judges sat outside of the cage in their own roped-off section, there to help make the final decision in deciding the match.

Her opponent was already inside and waiting. He was an ox faunus, only an inch or so taller than her but bulky and muscular, looking as though he had just barely slipped under the weight limit. Alys got into position opposite to him and the referee stepped forward and brought his hand up, signaling the beginning of the fight.

They began to circle each other, looking for openings. Alys threw out a few fast jabs and leg strikes, testing the ox faunus' defense, but he just grunted and kept his guard up, watching her.

With a bellow, he began to charge, but Alys had already predicted that and dropped low, flaring her aura and tackling his legs. His aura clashed with hers as she flipped him over and threw him to the ground, rotating and landing on top of his leg. The ox panicked as she began bending his leg back, kicking out with his other leg and trying to push himself up.

Alys held on, ignoring the frantic kicks to her head, but the oxen suddenly shouted and lifted his leg straight up, also lifting Alys into the air, and swung his leg around, smashing her against the cage. The force of being slammed against the tough steelsilk made her loosen her grip, the oxen then stomping her against the ground and quickly backing away. Alys got to her feet and shook her head, a little dazed.

The ox took advantage of her disorientation and took the offensive this time, dashing forward and swinging at her. Each punch was strong but a little slow, so Alys dodged a few fists before grabbing hold of one and twisting it to the side, then pushing it back against the ox and bending his wrist joint to the limit. The ox grunted and backed off, trying to loosen her hold, but Alys followed him, eventually backing him up against the cage and pressing even harder, forcing him to his knees.

Alys was a little afraid that she might have to completely snap his wrist before he gave up, but the ox yielded before she had to do anything drastic, tapping the mat as Alys forced him down to the ground, his wrist bending further than it should have.

The referee rushed in and Alys immediately let go, wondering if the ox was okay. He held his arm, face pinched in pain, and Alys felt bad, wondering if the injury was severe.

The ox was walking out of the ring when Alys ran up to him. "Wait," she said.

The ox turned around, a questioning expression on his blunt face.

"Can I heal you?" Alys asked, motioning with her hands.

A spark of recognition took hold in his eyes and he nodded, holding out his wrist. Gently wrapping her fingers around his injury, she shifted his fracture back into place and knitted the bones back together, also stemming a bit of internal bleeding.

"Thanks," he said gruffly, smiling at her. "Good match."

Alys nodded and shook his hand, agreeing. They walked out of the ring separately, Alys heading towards Weiss, who was standing in the crowd and smiling at her. A girl suddenly ran in front of Alys, holding a small tablet up and taking a selfie with Alys in the background. Giving her a shy wave, she disappeared back into the throng, leaving Alys a little bewildered.

"Did you see that?" Alys asked Weiss, taking her jacket and track pants from Weiss' arms and slipping them on.

"Yeah, you're definitely getting popular," Weiss said, grinning. "Where do you think Aaron is?"

"We can go check the standings," Alys said, beginning to walk towards one of the large electronic signs.

After waiting a bit for Aaron's name to pop it, they saw that he had just won his second match, winning by a knockout. They headed toward the cage where he had just had his match, meeting him halfway there.

Aaron looked refreshed, smiling, showing no visible signs of injury.

"Easy match?" Alys asked.

He shrugged. "The other guy was slower than me, so I just closed the distance and knocked him silly."

"Did you really just say 'knocked him silly'?" Alys teased.

"I think you're just faster than everyone else," Weiss observed.

"All this fighting has made me hungry," Aaron declared, ignoring them. "Let's go get some lunch, and then we can spend the afternoon watching the rest of the matches.

They walked to the edges of the pavilion, buying some sandwiches and fried potatoes, and sat down at a bench to eat lunch. Afterwards, they spectated the other rounds, Alys noting how the heavier divisions fought. With each weight increase between the classes, the fighters got larger, their muscles and auras seeming stronger and more solid than the lighter divisions.

"That's just an illusion," Aaron said, shaking his head after Alys had pointed them out. "If you haven't realized already, the weight divisions are meaningless."

Weiss nodded. "Aura is the real determinant here, isn't it?"

"Yup," Aaron said. "Considering the amount of strength and speed aura-enhanced fighters have, that extra bit of weight or power doesn't really matter in the overall scheme of things."

"Then why are we fighting at lower-weighted divisions?" Alys asked.

"Two reasons. One is because this is our natural weight, and it wouldn't be good to starve or gorge ourselves to higher or lower weight divisions. Two is because a lot of the spectators, including audience these fights are being broadcasted to, are 'normal' people. Those who can wield aura on a significant level are relatively rare, so the audience needs a bit of normality so that they can relate to the fighters and actually have interest in our fighting. Thus, the weight divisions distract the audience from the fact that our auras are what gives us our strength."

Alys and Weiss stared, surprised at the length and depth of the explanation that Aaron just gave.

"Wow," Alys said. "That sounds awfully..." She trailed off.

"It's not a good system," Aaron agreed, "But the company that runs this tournament needs to earn money to recoup their losses from creating the venue and also to pay out the prizes. In addition, this gives you and me an opportunity to advertise our sponsors to a large amount of people and earn a bit of our own money."

"So is there anywhere fighters can compete without weight divisions?" Weiss asked.

"Of course there are. But those matches are usually much less popular and less advertised. It's disillusioning for the audience to see a skinny little girl throw around a full-grown man."

Alys looked down at herself. "Um..."

"Times are changing," Aaron said, nodding. "The growing popularity of huntresses and hunters are enlightening more and more of the population about the existence and use of aura. That's why you'll see people like Orphea gather huge fan bases, where people will idolize her based upon her looks combined with her seemingly impossible strength."

"You're very talkative today," Weiss noted, looking at Aaron in a new light. "I think I like this intellectual side of you."

Aaron smiled, his cheeks tinting in pleasure. "I need to know these things because I'm going to be creating my own fighting school, remember?"

"Now that you've mentioned her, how's Orphea doing?" Alys wondered. "I haven't watched any of her matches today."

"The lighter weight divisions have their fights in the morning," Aaron said, "So you wouldn't have had the chance to spectate her. However, I did see that she won her match today. I'm sure we'll bump into her if we keep walking around."

Unfortunately, they didn't meet Orphea, but they did watch a few more matches for awhile before heading back into town for a meal and a rest. They each had matches tomorrow morning, so Aaron wanted them to make sure they slept well and were refreshed before fighting. The three headed back to the hotel rooms after dinner, and Aaron wished them a good night before going to his own room.

* * *

It was night time, and Alys and Weiss were snuggling in bed, blissful.

Weiss was just about to doze off when Alys spoke up.

"Weiss?"

"Mmm?" she mumbled sleepily.

"I think I need a weapon."

"I see."

"No, really, Weiss. Weapons make you so much stronger."

"Go grow a weapon or something," Weiss muttered, half-asleep.

Alys thought for a moment. "But wood rots, and isn't as hard as metal."

"Power it with your aura," Weiss responded, snuggling deeper.

"But then it'll just break when I don't put aura into it."

"I don't know," Weiss mumbled. "Find something that fits who you are."

Alys nodded, contemplating her words. "Sorry for bothering you," she said, realizing that she was preventing Weiss from sleeping.

"'S okay," Weiss said, and promptly fell asleep.

Alys sighed, listening to Weiss' peaceful breathing. Once her hand-to-hand combat skills stopped improving quickly, she'd have to find something else, something that would continue to allow her to grow stronger.

* * *

**Note:**

**Yay a chapter!**

**Sorry for my weekend absence, college apps and college visit ;_;**

**This chapter set up a bit more of my world, so if you have any questions just ask away in PMs or in reviews.**

**I apologize if you wanted more fight scenes/plot progression, these are getting longer than I expected.**

**Apparently I'm terrible at planning, so the Alys interlude will still apparently take awhile longer.**


	38. The Tournament Pt. 2

They were beating each other with their fists, sweat flying through the air, all semblance of technique or grace dropped as Alys desperately tried to break down her opponent's aura.

Both of them were extremely tired, their legs like leaden weights and their arms slowly moving through the air. Her opponent was a human this time, small but strong with decent aura reserves, a blue glow surrounding him.

Alys' aura was the first to run out, flickering and then fading as a well-placed punch caught her in the side. But Alys didn't stop, instead pulling on the last reserves of her physical strength and using her natural faunus ability to drop to a crouch and sweep out a leg, catching the tired human by surprise and sending him dropping to the floor and landing on his back with a grunt.

He tried to scramble up but Alys was already right beside him, kicking him in the ribs. He tried to stand back up again and again, but Alys just rolled him across the floor, kicking him with all of her remaining strength and following his tumbling body. She didn't need her aura for his, her faunus strength enough, so she took this time to rest her upper body.

With a final kick, his aura fizzled out, the human even more tired now that his source of energy had disappeared. Her arms rested, Alys flipped him over with her foot and cupped both of her hands together, bringing them down like a hammer into the side of his head.

The crowd gasped as the human instantly stopped flopping around, his body going limp as the referee pulled Alys away and declared her the victor. Alys was pretty sure she didn't hit him hard enough to kill him, but she stayed anyways, offering her help as the attending physician checked over the human.

The physician shook his head and gave her a thumbs up sign, gently pulling the swaying human to his feet and leading him out of the cage. Alys sighed with relief and also walked out, heading for Aaron and Weiss, who were standing in the audience. She was a little unsteady on her feet, the match too close for her liking. Her lack of aura was really starting to become a problem.

"Dramatic and brutal," Aaron noted as Alys walked towards him. "A sure crowd-pleaser."

Alys blushed a little. "Are you happy with me or angry at me?"

"No, no, that was good," Aaron said. "I saw how you held yourself back on the last attack to make sure he wasn't permanently injured. You probably shouldn't do that for your next few matches, but it's all situational."

"How do you feel?" Weiss asked. "Are you going to recover in time for your afternoon match?"

"I think I need some food and a nap," Alys responded. "And then I'll be ready."

Aaron agreed, so they navigated the crowds and began walking back to the hotel room. It was nearly noon, the sun high overhead.

The number of contestants had decreased dramatically, with three-fourths of the contestants having been knocked out of the tournament by now. Thus, the number of cages had also been reduced and chairs had been set up, allowing the audience to spectate each individual match.

Alys and Aaron had to stay in the waiting area until it was time for their fight, so they missed Orphea's match, but Weiss had been able to watch it.

"How did she look?" Alys asked as they were walking.

"Pretty strong," Weiss admitted. "Every time she hit her opponent she did some sort of shout and they just flew back. She threw them around until she found an opening, then held them down and knocked them unconscious."

Alys immediately thought back to what Orphea had shown her, wondering if she was allowed to tell anyone. "Do you think it was her semblance?" Alys asked cautiously.

"Probably," Aaron chimed in. "The only semblances that aren't allowed are the obvious ones, like materialization and projected force fields. The referees will immediately disqualify you if they see you use something that stands out too much. It's a natural extension of the 'don't-scare-the-normal-people' rule."

"So if she had some sort of semblance related to her voice, and she disguised it by combining it with her attacks..." Weiss muttered.

"Then it would be perfectly legal," Aaron finished. "As long as you don't scare the audience too much, anything goes."

"Uh, guys? I don't have anything like that," Alys worried. "And the people progressing all seem to have some sort of semblance that helps them."

"Like Aaron's speed," Weiss nodded, agreeing.

Aaron shook his head. "You have healing. It's not easily noticeable, so the referees won't call you out on it, and your opponents won't know how to deal with it. I don't think there's ever been a competitor with healing before."

"Wait, so her strategy is to get seriously injured?" Weiss asked, frowning.

"Well, as you've seen from the videos I've given you, the fighters who progress further in the tournament are more willing to take injuries and continue fighting," Aaron began. "So for example, if you put someone in a wristlock like you did earlier, the more dedicated fighters will just perform a counter maneuver and trade their broken wrist for an opportunity to injure you."

"But I'm not even sure if I can do the counters properly."

"You don't need to," Aaron explained. "Because you can heal, you have multiple tries if your opponent tries to put you into a hold. All you have to do is break a few bones or dislocate a joint or two and you'll have a great opportunity to surprise them."

Weiss looked unimpressed. "So you just expect her to ignore the pain? You do realize that broken knees and dislocated sockets actually hurt a lot, right? It's very hard to make the conscious decision to severely injure yourself."

Aaron was finally stumped. "Well, uh, adrenaline, I guess?"

"It's fine," Alys said. "I'll just save it as a trump card or something. As long as I have aura and I'm not passed out from the pain, I can keep on fighting."

Weiss had the sudden mental image of Alys lying broken and crumpled on the ground. She shuddered, wondering if it was an omen. "I know how important this is to you, but don't take it too far, alright?" Weiss warned.

"I'll be careful," Alys promised.

They arrived at the hotel, ordering room service at the front desk before heading upstairs. Aaron reminded them to set an alarm for two o'clock so they could get up two hours before the match and prepare, then headed back to his room across the hall.

Alys didn't bother to change, too sore and hungry to from her last fight to really do anything, and sat with Weiss on the couch, leaning on her.

They were silent for awhile, enjoying each other's company, before Alys began talking.

"So about my weapon..."

"Not again," Weiss groaned. "I think I've already told you that you should just find something that fits yourself."

"But I want to start training early," Alys explained. "The limited amount of aura that I have almost made me lose today. If I had a weapon..."

"Alys, why are you trying so hard to force yourself to find a weapon?" Weiss asked. "You don't immediately choose the right one, sometimes it takes a while before you find the one you like."

"That's the problem," Alys said. "I don't think I can imagine myself wielding anything. And then I see you with that Dust-rapier, people with unfolding weapons, weapons with guns, weapons with explosives, and I realize that I can't really compete in actual combat with you guys."

"Then don't," Weiss said gently, trying not to sound insensitive. "You can protect us by healing our fatal injuries, mending wounds that can't be fixed no matter how physically strong you are."

Alys let out a frustrated breath. "Then what was point of all this? Why did I train so hard if I can't even use anything I've learned?"

Weiss stroked her ears, embracing her. "I think you're overreacting a little. You can still beat easily beat the average goon, and you still have enormous strength relative to the average faunus or human. And remember, even combat medics still have to learn how to fight."

Alys shivered in ecstasy, the gentle strokes on her sensitive ears making her breathe a little faster and lose track of her thoughts. "That's not fair," Alys whispered, struggling against her arousal yet also huddling closer to Weiss. "Okay, okay, I'll think about it," she acquiesced.

"Good," Weiss said, smiling and giving her a kiss. "I can't bear to see you like that."

The couch was messy when the room service came, the doorbell ringing.

"I'll get it," Weiss murmured, getting off of the flushed and panting Alys.

Weiss straightened out her rumpled clothing, tying her hair back into place, and opened the door. A waiter stood there with a cart, a little awkward, Weiss' frantic tidying up doing little to hide what she had been preoccupied with.

"I'll take it," Weiss quickly said, not giving the waiter a chance to speak before dragging the cart inside, nodding to him and shutting the door.

An hour passed before the two finally got around to eating lunch, the food a little cold but neither of them caring.

* * *

Aaron gave Alys another set of sponsor clothing, Alys taking a quick shower and changing into them. The afternoon sun was still above the horizon as the two headed towards waiting area. They were stopped by a reporter for the event who just wanted a quick comment from them.

"You're in the top sixteen, Alysonne," he said. "How does it feel to be one of the best flyweight fighters in Vale?"

"It feels great," Alys said, giving him a nervous grin. "It feels as though all of my training is paying off."

He turned to Aaron, asking him a similar question. Aaron took the opportunity to advertise his upcoming tutoring services and fighting school, spewing out his contact numbers and giving his sponsors a shoutout before the reporter could take the microphone away.

"Hey, what about me?" Alys asked as they left the reporter behind. "Aren't you teaching me right now?"

"You've already learned nearly everything that I can teach you," Aaron said, smiling. "You're an exceptionally quick learner. If you want to keep progressing, you're going to have to find someone else who can teach you something different."

"Aww," Alys said, a little disappointed. "Can I still spar with you?"

"Of course," Aaron said. "I'll actually have a lot more spare time once I get teaching offers because I'll be able to quit my daytime job."

The two them kept talking for a while, discussing strategy, before Alys was called to out for her match.

Aaron had few last words of advice before Alys left. "Remember: No mercy, don't hold back, and don't be too hard on yourself if you can't win. You're already in the top sixteen, you are strong."

Taking his advice to heart, Alys thanked him and left the waiting room, walking toward the huge cage in the center of the pavilion. A pathway led straight to the cage, cutting through the rows of chairs the audience sat on. Ignoring the camera flashes and cheers, she walked into the cage, taking deep breaths and analyzing her opponent.

The wolverine faunus was short and stocky, his eyes murky green and a trimmed beard lining his jaw. He had a buzz cut that managed to add to his savage appearance, his incisors gleaming as he smiled at her.

Surprisingly, he stepped forward, holding out a hand. "I'm not going to hold back," he grinned. "You ready?"

Alys nodded. "Of course," she said, shaking his hand.

"Then let's not disappoint our audience."

They stepped back, the referee standing between them and waiting for the announcer to finish giving their introductions. When the bell rung, he raised his hand and stepped back, signaling the beginning of the match.

Alys weaved to the side even as the wolverine dashed to her, barely dodging his outstretched hands. Grabbing his elbows as his arms flew past her, she continued his motion and threw him forward, slamming him into the steelsilk cage behind her.

He growled and ripped his arms from her grip, twisting his torso instantly and pushing off of the wall. He landed on top of her, hands clawing at her face, but she just flared her aura and held him up, keeping his hands away from her, his primal-green aura flaring as he stopped her from crushing his stomach. Alys then bent backwards, throwing him off and slamming his head into the ground.

The wolverine recovered quickly, doing a handstand and moving himself away, his neck bent at an awkward angle. The referee began to signal to the end of the match, but the wolverine smiled and yanked his neck back into place, a loud pop indicating his realigned vertebrae. Looking faintly disgusted, the referee allowed the match to continue.

Once again he ran at Alys, and Alys backed off a bit, keeping her guard up. He took a step and jumped forward, doing what looked like a frontal kick, but instead pushing off of the side of the cage and leaping high into the air, coming down on top of Alys with an ax kick. Alys was confused for a moment, wondering where the wolverine had gone, then looked up, immediately raising her arms into the air.

The kick slammed down with frightening force, leaving a bruise despite the aura Alys was wielding. However, the Wolverine was in a compromising position, suspended in the air with a heel on top of Alys' forearms, so Alys was able to grab his ankle on the way down and twist it to the side. The wolverine faunus bounced up from the floor with his other leg, hopping a bit, then landed a kick on Alys' unprotected midsection.

She gave a grunt and flew to the side, her body impacting the cage. The wolverine gracefully landed and pounced again, and Alys once again raised her block. This time, however, he just grabbed one of her arms, sweeping a leg under her and sending her to the ground, bending her arm behind her back.

"Submit," he growled, Alys feeling her bones begin to splinter.

Alys shook her head and got up on one knee, then rotated, screaming in pain as her upper arm and shoulder fractured. The crowd cheered, amazed that she managed to break the hold and unaware of the extent of the injuries.

The wolverine cursed, stepping back, and Alys used her momentum and a surge of adrenaline to slam an elbow into his jaw, feeling something break and making the wolverine stumble backwards, dropping to a crouch.

Gritting her teeth, she began to heal her arm, straightening it back into place and setting the bone, using her aura to reinforce it. The wolverine's jaw was beginning to swell as he leapt towards her again, Alys raising her good arm to fend him off. They weaved and bobbed, trading glancing blows as they jabbed and kicked at each other.

And then the wolverine began to actually claw, his next few blows gouging into Alys' upraised arms and splattering blood across the floor. His swipes were so fast that they were taking off skin and tissue, each attack ripping deeper. She frantically tried to heal the damage, focusing on the stopping the blood flow, her aura flaring as she tried to find off his aura-infused attacks.

There was a lull in his mauling and Alys took the chance, lowering her own guard and and slamming a palm forward. The strike hit the wolverine's nose, breaking it, but he merely hissed and stabbed his fingers forward again, sinking them into Alys' sides.

Alys could only scream as she slammed her elbows into his temple, dazing him, but he stubbornly held onto her ribs, his hands embedded in her flesh between the spaces of the bone. Grabbing his head, Alys pushed his face down and brought a knee up, slamming his mouth closed and further cracking his jaw in multiple places.

She did this repeatedly, the wolverine's grip growing weaker as she repeatedly broke his jaw, his eyes losing focus as he grew concussed.

With a sudden roar and a desperate burst of strength, the wolverine's grip tightened and her ribs snapped, the bones shattering in his fists, the sharp edges slicing into his palm. Alys' throat clenched, the sharp, crushing, searing pain nearly unbearable as her vision went fuzzy, her body going into full-panic mode. She felt as though she was on fire, the pain signals radiating outwards from her broken ribs.

Writhing and choking in agony, she spasmed and kicked him back, pieces of her ribcage being ripped out of her body as he skidded across the bloody ground.

"Seriously?" Alys wheezed, her internal organs visible from the gaping holes in her abdominal cavity where her ribs used to be.

The referee was at first confused, unsure about where all the blood was coming from, then threw up in the corner of the cage when he saw Alys, frantically signaling to end the match. The audience took a few more seconds to realize what had just happened, a few of them also retching, some of them cheering at the carnage, and most of them shouting or screaming at the shocked judges to get Alys medical attention.

The wolverine tried to stand up a few times but failed to, his head trauma too great. He then noticed the bone shards in his hand, looking at the bleeding Alys and saying "You win" before his eyes rolled up and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Her aura already severely depleted, Alys nevertheless tried to tide the flow of blood, managing to slow the pulsing spurts to a gentle ooze. She lay back down on the ground, calming her breathing and trying to slow down her heartbeat. A stretcher was brought to her, hands gently lifting her up and a light being shined into her eyes. She felt herself being moved out of the cage, down the stairs, past the roaring crowd, and into the back of an ambulance. Alys blinked, focusing the emergency medical technician standing above her.

"Fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh ribs have nearly been completely removed," Alys gasped, trying to help them speed the process along. "Partially collapsed right lung."

They nodded, a bit surprised, and began taking the air out of her chest cavity, trying to reinflate her lung. Alys was beginning to sink into blissful unawareness when she heard Weiss' voice, demanding to be let onto the ambulance.

"Relative," Alys croaked.

A few seconds later, Weiss stepped into the back, standing in a corner and wringing her hands, clearly wanting to touch Alys but knowing to let the medical technicians do their jobs.

Alys turned her head to the side, looking at Weiss and smiling deliriously. "I'll be fine," she mumbled. "Just outa' aura for now."

"Sorry, Aaron couldn't come, they only let one come on board," Weiss chattered, a little frenzied. "Stay with me Alys, stay with me, this can't be happening again."

Alys saw Weiss' panic and made a greater effort, pulling on her aura as hard as she could. One of the nearby technicians wobbled a little, his hand clutching his chest. Alys felt a tiny bit of aura enter her and she used it immediately. Her lungs were already mostly inflated, and they were beginning to stem the rest of her bleeding, so Alys finished up the job, forcing her blood vessels and the layer of skin to pull itself back together, the technicians shouting in surprise as her skin healed back up.

Some of them tried to push her back down, but Alys just shook her head, sitting up.

"I'm fine now, see?" Alys panted, now completely exhausted.

Ignoring the people around Alys, Weiss embraced her, clutching her tightly, ignoring the red smears that ruined her pristine outfit.

"Ow, ow, ow," Alys complained. "I'm still missing ribs."

"There's so much blood on you," Weiss said, tears running down her face. "I thought I had lost you again."

"Don't worry," Alys whispered. "I won't die again. I have this handy-dandy healing now, remember?"

Weiss just laughed and sobbed, holding her the entire time as they were transported to the hospital.

* * *

Alys stayed in observation for a few days, Weiss staying with her the whole time, the doctors checking on her condition. Each day Alys grew back parts of her ribs, waiting for her aura to recover then forcing her body to calcify mineral deposits in the right places.

The competition had continued on without her, one of the contestants getting a bye as neither Alys nor the wolverine were able to continue fighting. Orphea took second place in her division, losing to a rabbit faunus that she just couldn't hit.

Aaron ended up winning his division, getting the sponsors and offers that he wanted. He visited Alys right afterwards, ecstatic and incredibly happy.

"I got enough money to buy a gym," Aaron said happily, bouncing.

"Wow," Alys said, amazed. "Where is it?"

"Really close to the old gym. I bought out the old warehouse across from the street and I'm going to completely renovate it."

"So it's not a gym yet," Weiss observed.

Aaron refused to let her bring him down. "It will be soon," he promised. "Construction starts tomorrow. I received plenty of investment offers right after my last fight was broadcasted."

"Do you think it's wise to open up a gym right across the street from another gym?" Alys asked.

"My gym will have bigger and better facilities, and I'll be teaching there. Our old gym was cramped and people had to bring their own equipment, so I'm going to offer them a new place to train," Aaron explained. "So, how are you doing now?"

"Almost completely healed," Alys grinned. "The doctors won't let me out of here until I'm fully recovered."

Aaron stopped twitching, his face taking on a serious expression.

"Uh, what's going on?" Alys asked, a little nervous.

"Do you still want to continue fighting?" Aaron asked cautiously. "After a traumatic fight, a lot of people retire..."

Alys nodded. "I definitely want to continue fighting," she declared. "I'm going to get better so I won't be injured like that next time."

"Yeah, your fight was a bit ridiculous," Aaron agreed. "I don't think I've seen anything like that before. I bet the organizers are revising the rules now to ban wolverines or something."

"Are you sure, Alys?" Weiss asked. "I can teach you fencing if you want."

"Like I said, I'm not going to stop training in hand-to-hand combat when I still have so much room to improve," Alys said, refusing to budge.

Weiss sighed. "I regret giving you advice," she muttered to herself.

Alys laughed, giving Weiss a hug. They talked for a little longer until Aaron excused himeslf, needing to go take care of a few phone calls and sort out his business arrangements.

About an hour later, Weiss was talking with Alys about Beacon when a nurse suddenly came in, telling her that she had visitors.

Alys nodded and the nurse left the room, a short man and a tall, slender woman walking inside.

"Uh, hi," the wolverine said.

He looked embarrassed and nervous, his trimmed beard now clean-shaven, wearing neat dress pants and a dress shirt. The woman wore a silvery gown, long and slinky, and had tufted fox ears on top of her platinum hair, the long curls nearly to her waist.

Her amber eyes narrowed as she slapped the wolverine's back, making him wince and stumble forward. "Apologize, Thomas."

"Sorry," Thomas said gruffly, looking downwards. "Didn't mean to hurt you so badly. I just got caught up in the fight and didn't want to let go."

Alys smiled, nodding. "Apology accepted, but I don't think you needed one. A fight is a fight, after all."

The fox prodded Thomas again, and he coughed and turned towards Weiss. "Sorry for hurting her," he said, a wary expression on his face as he waited for Weiss to yell at him.

Weiss harrumphed. "Apology also accepted," she said. "I understand that it was an intense match."

The fox faunus smiled, relieved. "He doesn't look too sorry, but trust me, the first thing he did after waking up was ask if you were okay."

"Kiara," Thomas whined, drawing out her name. "You said you wouldn't tell anyone."

Kiara shushed him. "I'm Thomas' wife," she said, introducing herself. "I'm really sorry about this whole thing and I hope you're getting better. We have to go to a dinner party now, but give us your number and we'll pay for your medical bills."

Weiss began to speak but Alys shushed her, realizing that Kiara needed to pay her back so she could forgive herself and her husband. "That would be great," Alys said, smiling. "And don't worry, I'm almost completely healed now."

"Oh, good," Kiara beamed, visibly relaxing.

The couple had to leave soon, so they swapped numbers and said their goodbyes before departing, the room once again silent.

"Alys?"

"Yeah?"

"That was weird. Well-intentioned, but still weird."

"Yeah."

* * *

**Note:**

**Longer than usual, this too longer to write too _**

**Response to a review:**

**Nah, I don't do any rping, but it's cool to see people using Blood Rose O.o**

**Also, RWBY needs a wolverine faunus. Wolverines, not just the comic book character but also in real life, are just so freaking badass.**

**Read, review, comment, etc, send me messages. Hopefully I can wrap up this interlude in the next chapter, but we'll see.**


	39. Decision

"Oh Blakeyyy, where are youuu?"

Blake looked up, ears swiveling the direction of Yang's voice just as she stepped through the doorway, a few plastic bags in her hand.

"Yang?"

"Hey Blake," Yang said, smiling and setting down the bags.

Blake sniffed the air. "Yang, are those...?"

"Yup," Yang said, pulling out a bottle of beer and noticing it was half-empty. "Whoops."

Blake sighed. "It's a little early, isn't it?"

The afternoon sun still shone through the windows, a soft golden glow illuminating Blake as she curled up with a book on the couch.

"It's never too early for some alcohol," Yang responded, plopping herself down on the couch and taking a gulp of beer.

Blake set her book aside, unable to concentrate now that a drunken Yang was next to her.

Yang reached into a bag and pulled out a wine bottle, offering it to Blake. "Here, I got one of those fruity wines you like."

Blake ran a hand through her hair, conflicted. She didn't want to encourage Yang, but it was Saturday afternoon and she had already finished all her homework, and Weiss would be at Alys' house for the rest of the weekend...

Accepting the bottle from Yang's hand, she flared her aura and twisted the cork out, taking a sip.

"So what are you reading this time?" Yang asked, picking up Blake's book.

Blake stretched luxuriously, the heading feeling of inebriation spreading through her. "Nothing interesting, just a book of great literary merit," she said, lazily trying to snatch the book back.

Yang held it out of her reach, flipping the book open and skimming through it. "Wow," Yang murmured, her cheeks turning pink. "This is impressive, alright."

Blake swiped at her again, but Yang dodged and instead moved closer, cuddling up with her. "Come on, we can read this together," she grinned.

After taking a few more gulps for courage, Blake nodded, moving onto Yang's lap. Yang began to read out loud, emphasizing certain terms and making Blake giggle.

"It sounds ridiculous when you read it like that," Blake protested, trying to stifle her laughter.

Yang snickered and continued, ignoring her complaints. "And then he grabbed her _bottom_  and shoved his  _long, firm rod_  into her," Yang choked out, unable to go further.

Blake's bottle was empty, so she set it aside, turning and wrapping her legs around Yang's waist.

"I think I'd rather have you in me," Blake purred, grinding her hips against Yang.

Blake's shorts were halfway down her thighs when the alarms sounded, Yang cursing. Blake made a disappointed sound, getting off of Yang and standing up, shifting her clothing back into place and putting her shirt back on.

"Damn it," Yang said, buttoning up her vest. "Let's go see what's going on."

And then a nevermore slammed through the window, as large as a man and ropes of taijitus swarming off of its body. The nevermore shrieked and launched itself at Blake, who blurred out of the way. Grabbing her weapon from the couch armrest and unsheathing her katana, she cleaved the striking taijitus in half.

Yang snatched the taijitus out of the air and punched them, throwing them back against the wall. Her gauntlets expanding, she tackled the nevermore, pinning it to the wall with one hand and blasting it in the head.

The bony white armor was cracking a little when it finally was able to free itself, one of its wings buffeting Yang and sending her stumbling back. Hopping to the center of the room, it was only able to partially unfold its wings before snapping them shut, large feathers flying towards Blake and Yang. Yang swept her hand out, an arc of fire and an explosion slamming the feathers back. Blake threw her katana around, attached to her wrist by a elastic band, deflecting the feathers and chopping taijitu into pieces.

Yang fired at the nevermore, each shell exploding against its head. Taking the opening, Blake blurred forwards, gripping her katana with both hands and using her speed and momentum to slam the blade through the crack in its armor, bringing it down and spearing it against the floor. The nevermore's body flapped around wildly as Blake took her katana out, its death throes weakening as Blake and Yang cleaned up the rest of the taijitus.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before," Blake said, staring at the corpses.

They were both fully sober now, the fight making them fully alert.

"Me neither," Yang agreed, picking up a piece of taijitu and examining it. "They don't seem to be different from normal Grimm."

"These things are working together," Blake said slowly, realizing the implications. "What the hell?"

Yang thought for a second. "We can discuss this later," she said. "The alarms are still ringing, so we need to get down there and see if we can help with anything."

Blake nodded, and they ran out of the room and down the hallway. It was mostly deserted, most students out during the afternoon, but Blake heard sounds of gunfire and shouting from other parts of the school, her ears twitching.

"This way," Blake said, kicking down one of the doors of the dorm rooms.

"Where are we going?" Yang asked.

Using her katana, Blake sliced the glass window to pieces, pushing the plates of glass out. "Down there," Blake said, and jumped out of the window.

Yang followed after her, landing right behind her in a crouch. Quite a few Grimm roamed the school grounds, the school security fighting them off. The two had dropped into the middle of a fight between three ursa minors and one of the guards, his helmet slightly dented as the ursas tossed him around. Seven ursas lay in pieces around him, a large sword lodged in one of the corpses.

Blake sent her blade flying into the neck of one of them, Yang uppercutting and slamming the other twenty feet away. The guard rolled to his feet, swinging his smallsword and cutting deeply into the ursa's chest. The ursa reared back, preparing to swipe again, but Blake shot it as Yang flew through air and roundhoused it in the head, snapping its neck.

"Thanks," the guard said, dusting himself off. "They're swarming all over the grounds. Reinforcements are coming soon, but we're trying to protect the students still on campus."

He pulled out his tablet, checking it. "They need help at the courtyard; death stalkers and beowolves are scaling the cliffs. We also have a few giant nevermores attacking, too."

The three made made their way through the school, clearing out any Grimm and looking for people that needed help. However, most of the students were able to take care of themselves, fighting ability being a large portion of the requirements needed to gain admittance to Beacon.

By the time they arrived in the courtyard, most of the fighting was already over, huge nevermore and death stalker corpses spread across the ground and thousands of various other Grimm scattered about. Reinforcements sent by the government had already arrived, distinctive in their black suits, white undershirts, and heavily tinted sunglasses. They each wielded similarly-colored weapons, a variety of black armaments ranging from crossbows to machine guns. A squadron of hoverjets pursued the last giant nevermore, their twin autocannons slowly wearing it down.

Ozpin was standing at the main gates, sipping a cup of coffee as he talked with one of the government officials. Glynda was nearby, scrolling through her tablet and surveying the damage.

The government official walked away, and Ozpin turned towards Yang and Blake.

"Glad you could join us," he said, taking another sip. "Any ideas on what might have caused this?"

Blake and Yang looked at each other, wondering why he would be asking them. "Well, they seem to be working together," Blake offered.

"Mmm," Ozpin hummed, nodding. "I believe that this was a preliminary attack of some sort. Perhaps to scout out our defenses, or to test the human race."

Glynda walked over, eyes on her tablet. "Professor, the town is also under attack, but our reinforcements are already heading over there."

"Weiss is in town," Yang realized. "Sir, may we go with the reinforcements?" she asked Ozpin.

"Of course," Ozpin said. "You two can handle yourselves, and this will give you valuable fighting experience." He pointed towards one of the hoverjets that was still on the ground. "Board that one and tell them that I sent you."

Blake and Yang immediately dashed towards the hoverjet, concerned for their friends. The pilot took their word without questioning them, waiting for a few more government agents to board before shutting the doors and taking off.

The government agents didn't talk, either staring straight ahead or cleaning their weapons, so Yang felt uncomfortable during the short trip. Luckily they reached the town in a few mintutes, the government agents jumping off before they had even landed and beginning to do battle with the Grimm.

Yang looked at Blake, unimpressed, and followed their lead, also jumping off, Blake following right behind her. They hit the ground shooting, blasting aside the Grimm around them as the hoverjet strafed the Grimm horde from above, its machine-gun fire tearing them apart.

In a few minutes, the Grimm around them were dead, the government agents as deadly and as quick as any Hunter. Yang and Blake immediately ran towards Alys' cottage, circling around the borders of the town. They met only a few Grimm on the way, Blake wondering where they all were. Her question was answered when they arrived at Alys' house, fifty or so Grimm swarming it, the creatures of darkness attracted to the only living things in a mile radius. Alys' cottage was quite remote, so no help had arrived yet.

Alys was in the midst of the fray, each of her kicks and punches flinging the Grimm away. Weiss was fighting right next to her, her rapier only visible as dazzling flashes of silver, fire and ice erupting around her as she used Dust to destroy the Grimm.

Blake and Yang joined in once more, the four of them easily wiping out the group of creatures.

"Shoulda' known you two could take care of yourselves," Yang muttered, cleaning off her gauntlets on the lawn.

Alys grinned, slightly out of breath, similarly wiping off her legs and hands. "I finally got to use the things I learned," she beamed. "How'd I do, Weiss?"

"You did great," Weiss said, flicking the blood off of her blade. "See? You have the strength, and you could have healed us if we were injured."

"But none of you got injured," she frowned. "And I got a few scratches on my knuckles."

"You're using bare fists," Blake pointed out.

"We can have this conversation later," Yang interrupted. "Alys, do you want to come back to Beacon with us? It'll be a lot safer there than this cottage if the Grimm attack again."

"Can I get a ride to the hospital when I have to go to work?" Alys asked. "Weiss's car got crushed by the Grimm." Weiss winced.

The looked at the wreck of her silver luxury car. Weiss had been using it to drive to Alys' house, and it had been parked outside the cottage when the Grimm attacked. Now it was nearly ripped in pieces, the Grimm having torn it apart while searching for scents of people.

"I think we can get you another ride," Yang said. "And if you really need to go anywhere, I can just take you on my motorcycle." She looked up, the setting sun giving the sky a deep orange glow. "So, I guess we're walking back?"

"Give me five minutes," Alys said. "I need to grab some stuff."

She rushed back into the house, shoving clothes and necessities into a luggage bag. While she was packing, the sound of a hoverjet suddenly approached, and she peeked her head out of the window.

"Yes!" Yang fist-pumped. "We can totally bum a ride from them." She switched her rounds to explosive shells and started firing into the air, sending up firework-like explosions.

The hoverjet swerved, it's autocannons revving up before it realized that they were Beacon students. It hovered in the air above them, dropping a ladder.

Yang thought for a moment, remembering the flashy exit the government agents had made.

"Hey Weiss, throw me a glyph," Yang said, crouching.

Weiss created a glyph under Yang, the white symbols spiraling outwards. Tensing her muscles and flaring her aura, Yang fired her gauntlets and leapt skywards, flying towards the hoverjet. She slammed into the side of the hoverjet, absorbing the impact with her arms and legs, the hoverjet tilting slightly, then slung herself into the open hatch, poking her head out.

"That was awesome!" she shouted. "Come on up!"

Alys shook her head, laughing, and finished packing just in time to see Blake flying upwards. She raised an eyebrow at Weiss.

"You too?" Weiss asked, preparing to make another glyph.

"I'll probably hit the engines or something," Alys said, shaking her head. "Thanks, but I'll take the ladder."

Holding her bag of luggage under one arm, she ascended the ladder, taking three rungs at a time. By the time she reached the top, Weiss had already launched herself into the hoverjet, offering a hand to Alys. Alys took it and pulled herself into the plane, setting her bag down.

The government agents in the jet were staring at Alys, their eyes covered with those tinted sunglasses, unnerving her. Their suits were still impeccable, the only things dirtied their weapons.

One of them stood up, pulling out a white card. As if on cue, the others promptly lost interest, looking away or resuming the cleaning of their weapons.

"We have an offer," the man said in monotone. "You have potential. We can increase your strength, your aura, by unimaginable levels." He held out the card in front of him, his arm stiff and unmoving. "You have two days. Respond to us when you are completely certain of your decision."

Alys' vision focused on the card, the white object filling her vision. Her lungs felt constricted, her breathing growing difficult. The solution to all her problems seemed to have just dropped into her lap, and Alys didn't know how to respond.

She stood still, shocked for a few moments, then slowly took the card, feeling as though she was walking down a road she could never turn back from. "Okay," she said, unable to say anything else.

The agent nodded and sat back down, losing interest in her once more.

Alys turned it over in her hand, examining it from all angles. It was a pure white index card, a single messaging address printed on both sides of the card in black ink. She memorized the number, repeating it to herself, and slipped the card into her pocket.

She sat down next to Weiss, who had been staring at her the whole time. The other two had also been staring at her, watching the whole exchange.

"What was-" Weiss began.

"Later," Alys said, shaking her head. She needed time to process the new information, to recollect her scattered thoughts.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, Alys leaning back against the seat, hands trembling.

* * *

"That sounds awfully suspicious," Weiss said, taking the card from Alys' hands.

The four of them had gathered in their dorm room, sitting on the bunk beds. The window had been patched up with pieces of plyboard and nails, the glass cleaned off of the floor. They sat together, deep in discussion about Alys' odd offer.

"If they could do that for everyone, why don't they power all of us up?" Yang wondered. "Do you think it's a trick?"

"Perhaps there are hidden risks," Blake speculated. "In any case, we could just ask Everest."

Yang nodded. "That's a great idea," she said. "As the head of the department of State Affairs, I'm sure he would know something about some shady government program."

"Hey, how's the resettlement program going?" Alys asked. "I haven't talked to you guys in awhile."

"It's going well," Blake said, smiling. "Everest is really streamlining the transport of the faunus settlers, and we still haven't been detected."

"I've also been getting the support of some human groups that sympathize with the faunus," Yang added. "If we can send some humans over, too, we can get a jump-start on the human-faunus integration process."

"So this way when the faunus settlement is revealed, you'll have support from faunus and human groups, right?" Weiss asked.

"If worst comes to worst, yes," Blake admited. "But for now, we're just going to build up our strength and make sure we can actually defend ourselves when the time comes."

Alys pulled out her tablet, typing out a message. "Can you guys give me Everest's address? He knows who I am, but I haven't sent a message to him before."

Blake handed Alys her tablet. "Mine is encrypted," she explained. "Use this to send him a message; his address is already in there."

Alys tapped out a message, telling him about her offer and sending him the address that was on the card. She got a response almost immediately, Everest's number coming up as he called them.

"It's real," he said. "The government is running an experimental program. It's up to Alys to decide whether she wants to do it or not; I've already said too much."

"Thank you," Blake said, and ended the call, turning to Alys. "Well?"

Alys hesitated, unable to make a decision. "They gave me two days," she said. "I'm going to think about it."

"Alys, you don't even know what they're going to do," Weiss said. "Maybe they'll lock you up forever after doing their experiments."

"I would like to say something," Yang interjected. "Blake and I have been working with Everest for months, and we've gotten to know him pretty well. I don't think that he would tell Alys to make a decision if entering the program would mean being locked up for the rest of her life."

"But we'll let you two talk it out," Blake continued. "It's up to you two to decide, and we don't want to interfere with such an important decision."

The two backed out of the room, entering the guest quarters and shutting the door.

"Weiss, this is just like me learning to fight," Alys said. "I'm still so much weaker than any of you, and this is exactly what I've been looking for."

"This is nothing like learning how to fight," Weiss said angrily. "This is much, much more dangerous. There are so many unknowns, so many possibilities, and I couldn't bear to lose you again."

"I don't want to fight with you," Alys pleaded. "But I can't let this opportunity slip by; I'll regret it for the rest of my life if I don't take the risk and see what they have to offer."

Weiss instantly felt guilty upon seeing tears well in her eyes. She leaned forward and hugged Alys, hard. "I didn't mean to make you cry," Weiss said softly, stroking her hair.

Afraid to break their peace, Weiss didn't say anything as they held each other.

Alys was the first to speak. "Remember when a few months back, I had that match with the wolverine?" Weiss nodded. "I told myself that I would get stronger, that I would never let anyone hurt me like that again, that I would beat my opponents."

"But you have been winning," Weiss said. "You got second place just a while ago, didn't you?"

"I lost to Orphea in the finals," Alys said sadly. "Maybe if it had been closer, I wouldn't be thinking like this. But I couldn't do a single thing; she just kept throwing me back. I wasn't fast enough or strong enough to even get near her."

"Orphea is incredible," Weiss said. "You can't compare yourself to her."

Alys just shook her head. "But Orphea lost to someone else in her next tournament, and she only placed fourth. If I couldn't even touch her, how much stronger would those people be?"

Weiss had no response for that, staying silent.

"Tell me the truth, Weiss," Alys said, sitting up and staring into her eyes. "If you seriously fought Orphea, who would win?"

"Well, if she-"

"No 'ifs', Weiss," Alys interrupted. "Who would win?" she repeated.

"I guess I would," Weiss admitted.

"And it wouldn't even be a fair fight," Alys said sadly. "You'd just explode her with your Dust, or instantly stab her, or bind her with your glyphs and completely stop her from moving. I haven't said anything, but I'm also pretty sure you're faster than Aaron, especially if you use your glyphs and Dust."

"Alys..."

"And I'm reminded daily about my weaknesses," she continued. "I have a limit to the number of injuries I can heal, and my aura isn't increasing anymore. I see Yang and Blake and you jump into a hoverjet like it's nothing, as if the engines weren't a few feet away from you three. None of you even broke a sweat after killing all those Grimm around our house, but my aura was already getting low by the time they came to help."

Alys sighed, leaning against Weiss again. "The differences between us are huge," Alys said softly. "What if a few thousand Grimm had attacked us? What if our enemies had been Hunters? I wouldn't have been able to do anything. I would have died instantly, useless."

"Alright."

"Alright?"

"Do it," Weiss said, kissing her. "Do it for yourself and for us. No matter how you word it, you've been suffering, feeling as though you couldn't do anything. You have the chance now change everything, and you should take it."

"Thank you," Alys gasped, beginning to cry again. "I didn't want to ruin things between us," she sobbed.

"No matter what you do or what you become, I'll always love you," Weiss reassured her, showering her with kisses. "Even if we argue or fight, I'll never leave you."

"Kind of sounds creepy," Alys said, laughing through her tears.

Weiss smiled, the two of them staying like for awhile, glad that the issue had been resolved.

Alys took a breath. "So, I guess I'll send my response now," she said, extricating herself from Weiss' embrace.

Weiss nodded, grabbing Blake's tablet from the side of the table. They entered in the address on the index card, the body portion of the message just being a simple "Yes". The response came a few seconds later.

"Good," it read. "Transport arrives at Beacon in five hours. Bring nothing."

"Five hours?" Alys gasped, sitting up. "I have to go tell my bosses that I'll be leaving."

Alys stood, knocking on the door of the guest room.

There was some scrambling, and then Yang yelled a "What?".

"We've made a decision, and I'm leaving in five hours," Alys shouted back. "I need to borrow your motorcycle."

The door was flung open, and Yang stepped out, buttoning up her vest. "Five hours? Are you insane?" Yang asked, grabbing her keys.

Blake also stepped into the room, hastily retying her bow. "You're leaving already?"

Alys nodded. "They sent a reply back instantly," she explained. "I have five hours to prepare myself, and I need to go excuse myself from my hospital job."

"Well, good luck," Blake said. "I'm sure they'll understand."

* * *

"What do you mean, 'indefinite leave of absence'?" the hospital director said.

"Sorry, it's this or I have to quit," Alys responded. "I can't tell you what's going on, but it's really important to me."

Yang had driven the two to the hospital, both of them clinging to her back as the motorcycle had zoomed through the streets. The town was mostly undamaged, the Grimm having been stopped by the reinforcements before they had gotten very far.

The director sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You've been a great asset to this hospital, Alysonne, and we've all been glad to have you here." Leaning to the side, he opened up a cabinet and pulled out a form. "There will always be a place for you here when you return. Just sign this and you'll be free to go."

Weiss scanned over the form, making sure that it did exactly as he said, and nodded to Alys.

"Thank you, sir," Alys said, writing her name. "I'll come back as soon as possible."

"That's all I can ask for," the director said, taking the form and filing it away.

* * *

After that, they quickly drove back to Beacon and went to go tell Ozpin, trusting him to keep their secret.

"I've heard about this," Ozpin said, sipping his coffee. "But I certainly didn't know that Alys had gotten an offer. And yes, Weiss, if you're allowed to go with her I can excuse you from Beacon."

The five hours went by quickly, despite Alys not needing to pack anything. She set up all sorts of contingency plans with Weiss, Weiss remembering Ozpin's words and wondering if she could come along. Alys made sure she had all of their contact numbers memorized, planning to call them as soon as she would be able to.

The hoverjet arrived, landing in the center of the courtyard. Two men in black stepped out of the hoverjet, motioning for Alys to board.

"I'm going with her," Weiss declared, also stepping forward.

The agents stared at her, then pulled out their tablets, scrolling, typing, scanning. A minute later, they both put their tablets away, nodding.

Saying their last goodbyes, Weiss and Alys stepped onto the hoverjet, the hatch closing behind them.

Yang and Blake kept waving as the hoverjet took off into the night sky, disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

**Note:**

**Sorry for this being late, I had some stuff to do ;_;**

**This isn't just a contrived plot device, trust me :D**

**Read and review, man I'm tired haha**


	40. Earning Trust

The wind howled as Ruby jogged through the snow, her cloak wrapped around herself, her hood up. Snow and ice were being hurled through the air, cutting through Ruby's skin, drops of blood appearing on her exposed areas.

The weather had gotten colder, snowstorms growing more and more frequent. This storm in particular had been going on for quite awhile now, showing no signs of stopping.

It had been a few days since they had struck the agreement, with Ruby remaining outside of the camp with her beowolves and guarding against any Grimm attacks. They sometimes dropped off supplies for Ruby, some dried meat or starchy foods, but it wasn't enough to share with beowolves. Thus, Ruby had to go hunt for food to make sure that they didn't starve.

Her beowolves were scattered around her, sniffing and searching for prey. None of them wore leashes, the wolves now knowing that Ruby was part of their pack, their leader. Besides, she brought them food, so they had no reason to abandon her.

Ruby pulled out her scythe, slamming the blade sideways into a tree. Stepping onto the handle, she jumped up, grabbing a branch and swinging herself on top of it. She climbed for a little longer until she was able to see over the tops of the other trees, looking around for any living creatures. There was a flash of movement to the east, so Ruby hopped off of the tree, grabbing her scythe and starting to run. The beowolves howled to each other, gathering together and following Ruby.

Tracks of deer led away from where Ruby had spotted them, alerted by the howls. Ruby kept chasing, leaping through the snow and propelling herself off of tree trunks, hooking her scythe onto branches and flipping forward.

She soon caught up to the deer, her speed easily outpacing them, stalking them as she waited for her beowolves to catch up. A few moments later, they had the herd surrounded, all of them pouncing at once.

The deer scattered, the beowolves focusing onto two deer as they brought the animals down. Ruby took another down with a well-placed shot, then stood back, letting her wolves have their fun as she refolded her scythe, pulling out a tarp. The beowolves gorged themselves, their humanoid hands tearing into the flesh as they shoveled the organs and flesh into their mouths.

Ruby wrapped up her kill in the tarp, slinging it onto her back. A few minutes later, the beowolves finished eating, panting happily and rolling in the snow to clean off the blood. All that remained of the deer were their skeletons and some gristle, the beowolves had eaten their fill, stuffing themselves in case of another starvation period.

Pulling out her tablet, Ruby checked their position. The tablet took a while to charge off of solar power, so Ruby used it sparingly. They were a few miles away from the campsite, the sky still a light gray as the wind blew and snow fell.

She set off towards the campsite, the deer carcass on her back dripping blood onto the snow as she headed back, the beowolves walking with her. The sky started turning darker, the sun beginning to set, so Ruby pulled her hood further down and began jogging, ignoring the icy shards piercing her skin.

Despite the snow impeding her progress, she got back to the campsite in less than an hour, setting down the carcass and sitting down beside it, unfolding the tarp around it. She was ravenous, and the deer was still warm, so she tore into it with her bare hands, eating the hot viscera and gulping the blood. After eating as much as she could, Ruby took out her scythe and sliced the deer into chunks, stashing them in the snow around the campsite.

The beowolves had dispersed, roaming around the campsite and keeping guard. Ruby got up, swiping her hands on the snow, then started chopping down trees, clearing her campsite out further.

The campsite was a circular clearing now a few hundred feet across, Ruby spending a little time every day cutting down a few trees and building up a huge store of firewood. The camp itself was located near the settlement, just a few hundred feet into the forest, the huge wooden walls visible between the bare tree branches. A small circle of stones was in the center of the campsite, covered with a large dome-shaped tent the faunus had given her. Ruby picked up a bundle of firewood and slid under the structure, a bit of snow entering through the hole in the fabric that let the smoke out.

She set a few cords of wood onto the stone, then layered some thin branches in a grid-like pattern over them. One of the supply drops had contained fire-starting tools, a small metal knife and a chunk of flint. Ruby carved out a pile of wood shavings, setting them on top of the kindling, then struck the flint and steel next to the pile, sparks flying out and creating a small flame.

Ruby blew on the small fire, encouraging it, and it spread, the dry kindling going up in flames and the larger logs catching fire. Now that the bonfire was larger, she opened the hole at the top of the tent a little more, wary of smoke suffocation.

Crawling out from under the tent, Ruby grabbed a chunk of meat she had set aside, slicing it into strips. She strung them onto a thick branch, then whittled two more Y-shaped branches. Going back into the tent, she set up the stand, draping the meat above the fire. She had gotten the idea after the faunus had given her jerky, deciding to make some herself.

Preparations done, she decided to get some rest, grabbing snow and wiping off her ragged uniform. The faunus weren't able to spare any fabric, but they had given her some thread and a needle. However, the stitches had already broken apart, the deer chase and the walk through the snow having worn away the wet strands. Since Ruby barely felt the cold anyway, she gave up on mending the clothes, realizing that the thin thread wouldn't be enough to hold the pieces together. She wrapped some steelsilk around the parts that were really falling apart, not particularly wanting to show her chest to the faunus.

They had given her a wooden toothbrush, although they hadn't included the toothpaste. Ruby's sharp, hard teeth didn't really feel dirty, the meat diet suiting her, but she brushed for propriety's sake, making sure not to damage the wooden brush.

Her hair was a little long, but it seemed to be growing slowly, staying untangled and unmatted. The scars all over her body were slowly fading, the deeper wounds taking a little longer.

Wrapping her cloak around herself, she sat in the corner of the tent, dozing off as she dreamed of better times.

* * *

Ruby woke up to someone calling her name and tapping on the tent.

"Hello?" came the voice. "Are you awake?"

She sat up and stretched, yawning, then brushed the tears from her eyes, unzipping the tent and stepping out. Someone moved a few steps back, giving her space as Ruby blinked, eyes adjusting to the bright morning light. A rabbit faunus was standing in front of her, wearing white camos with a rifle strapped to his back. In his hand he held a collapsible spear, not unfolded but with a finger over the trigger.

He looked at her warily, eyeing her disheveled appearance. "The Leader wants to speak with you," he said.

Ruby thought for a moment, struggling to recall his name. "Vincent?" she asked. "The lion faunus?"

The guard nodded. "He wants to meet as soon as possible, but he didn't tell me what he wanted to talk to you about."

"No problem," Ruby said. "Just give me a second."

She whistled loudly, the beowolves arriving half a minute later. The guard faunus' eyes widened, his spear expanding as he crouched and looked at the approaching beowolves.

Ruby ignored him, patting the beowolves and giving them instructions. "Do what you want, I'll be gone for a while," Ruby told them.

The alpha beowolf nodded, growling, and the pack bounded off, leaving the campsite. Ruby went back into the tent, grabbing the jerky hanging over the dead fire, and stepped back out.

"Alright, let's go," Ruby said, setting off towards the village.

The guard watched the beowolves until they disappeared into the forest, relaxing a little after they were gone. He followed Ruby at a distance, twitching as he looked around, watching the forest.

The two of them threaded between the trees, the freshly fallen snow crunching underfoot. The snowstorm had stopped, depositing a foot or so of snow, so a bit slipped into Ruby's boots. She ignored the uncomfortable feeling, instead enjoying the morning sun as she ate her jerky. The sky was clear again, the landscape feeling peaceful and silent. The jerky, however, was a little dry and tasted mostly like burnt ash, so she made a mental note to lower the smoking time.

The walls soon rose up above her, the gigantic wooden structure reaching up in the sky.

Ruby turned her head, looking back at the guard faunus trailing her. "How long did the walls take to build?" she asked curiously.

The guard hesitated a little, wondering if he should answer. "About a month," he said grudgingly.

"Really?" Ruby said, impressed. "How did you guys manage to do that?"

"We're faunus," he said proudly. "Not ragging on humans, but we're stronger and faster, so we chopped down the trees extremely quickly and built up the walls layer by layer."

Ruby pointed to one of the stone chimneys she had seen earlier, the grey rock poking out above the walls. "And how did you guys manage to build that?"

"We have a very smart engineer mouse faunus," he explained. "He designed a huge crane along with some other machines, so we requested some materials from the government and built a few. It really sped things along, and it lets us set up frames and build large structures like those."

After walking through the huge clearing the settlement was located in, they arrived at the walls, and the guard signaled for her to stop. An avian faunus in the guard tower at the main gates saw them and rang a bell, signaling a friendly arrival.

The walls slowly slid open, revealing Vincent standing right at the entrance, a group of faunus behind him. He was also wearing a white camo outfit, a few tools strapped onto his back. The other faunus were dressed similarly, all of them carrying things on their backs, some of them with large packs.

"Glad you could make it, Red," Vincent said.

Ruby nodded, looking at them. "What's going on?"

"This is your first opportunity to prove yourself," the lion faunus said, his bronze eyes staring intently at her. "Accompany us to the forest, assist us in our task, and protect us from any Grimm."

The men behind him looked a little nervous, the faunus clearly not too happy about needing to go outside of the city walls.

"Yeah, I can do that," Ruby said. "Are we going now?"

Vincent nodded. "We have brought provisions, and we will return at dusk. Let us depart."

They started walking toward the forest, heading towards a grove of huge spruce trees that dwarfed the nearby greenery. Ruby was surprised when Vincent stepped ahead of the group of faunus, walking beside her. He towered over her, Ruby feeling a little short compared to his height.

"Interesting choice of clothing you have there," Vincent noted.

Ruby blushed a little, looking down at the steelsilk wraps around her chest. "Well, you didn't give me any clothes," she protested, "And my skirt was ripped down the middle."

"Was the needle and thread we provided insufficient?"

Ruby shook her head. "It was fine, but I run around a lot so it rips easily," Ruby said.

Vincent thought for a moment. "We are currently limited on supplies, but perhaps we can scrounge up a uniform for you. Of course, it might be a little large..."

"It's fine," Ruby assured him. "I'm not cold, and I really like these clothes."

"You're not cold? Even in this weather? Interesting," Vincent murmured.

They had reached the first line of trees, the group of faunus behind them huddling even closer together as they scanned their surroundings.

"As you can see, many of us have not ventured outside of the walls very often," Vincent said, eyeing the workers.

"Then where do you get your food and supplies from?" Ruby wondered.

"There is a dedicated hunting party," Vincent explained. "The group we have today consists of a few warriors, but mostly of carpenters and woodcutters. Today's task is to gather lumber for additional housing units and storage facilities for our crops."

"Wow, so you guys have farms?"

Vincent nodded. "Underground greenhouses, with solar and Dust-powered lighting."

The spruces rose nearly two hundred feet above them, still green despite the cold weather. The woodcutters immediately got to work, setting down their bags and pulling out tools, calculating where the trees had to be cut and where they would fall.

"We will set up a perimeter," Vincent said, pulling a chainsaw off of his back. "But for now, we wait for them to tell us where the trees will fall."

A few minutes later, a spruce had been selected by the carpenters, the woodcutters coming over and talking with Vincent. Vincent nodded, listening, then raised his hand, quieting the group and giving instructions to the warriors. They were to set up a perimeter surrounding the woodcutters, each armed with flares in case any Grimm attacked. The woodcutters had used a length of thick rope to indicate where the tree was to fall, warning the others to stay away.

Vincent handed Ruby a flare. "You will be at the three o'clock position," he said. "Fire a signal if any Grimm come, even if you are able to deal with them."

"I understand," Ruby said, beginning to head to her spot.

The sound of chainsaws started up, muted as they began to cut into the wood. The spruce was huge, five meters in diameter, so it took a while for them to cut a wedge in the tree, then to begin sawing it through, directing where it was to fall.

Ruby patrolled her position, diligently watching for any nearby disturbances. It was noon when they finally called for a lunch break, the woodcutters only halfway through the trunk of the tree. Ruby watched enviously as they opened up their packs, pulling out bread, vegetables, and baked potatoes, her mouth watering as she saw that the potatoes were steaming hot, kept warm by the insulated containers.

Vincent walked up to her, handing her a bag. "Good work," he said. "Keep it up, we will still be here for a few more hours."

Ruby quickly thanked him and opened the bag, her stomach growling. A few potatoes, a chunk of jerky, and some pieces of flatbread were in there, and Ruby eagerly devoured them. Sure, raw meat was nice and warm, but it was getting a little boring and Ruby welcomed the palate change.

They finished their lunches quickly, going back to their positions. Ruby tried to keep herself from daydreaming, jumping around and climbing a few trees to make herself feel more alert. The other patrolling guards looked oddly at her but decided not to comment, keeping to themselves.

It was nearly three o'clock in the afternoon when Ruby heard the a loud  _crack_ , turning around and watching as the tree fell. The gigantic tree hit the ground with a  _whump_ , sending up a cloud of snow as it smashed into the ground.

Vincent walked around to each of the guards, telling them what was going on.

"They are going to delimb and prepare the tree for transport," Vincent explained. "Because of the size of the tree, we are only going to be transporting part of the tree today. Over the next few days we will chop down more trees, so you will need to come back a few more times."

Ruby didn't exactly relish the thought of standing in the cold for another a day, but she nodded anyways, wanting to show her dedication to their cause.

The sun was already sinking below the horizon by the time they started moving the logs, lifting one end with a set of small wheels and dragging the logs through the snow, a few faunus pulling each one. Vincent pulled an entire log by himself, a small golden glow surrounding him as he seemingly effortlessly dragged the log back to the village.

Ruby and the guards followed along, staying in formation and looking out for any threats. Ruby had been wondering if the sound of the tree falling had alerted any Grimm, but they seemed to be fine as they finally arrived at the main gate, the logs behind them. The gates slowly opened as they dragged the logs in, Ruby getting a glimpse of the interior of the town as they filed inside.

Vincent met with her one last time, the sun now below the horizon and the sky turning dark. "Today was good," he said. "I will send a guard to collect you again tomorrow."

"How many more days?" Ruby asked. "I don't want this to come out in a bad way, but this is honestly a little dull."

"Just a little?" Vincent asked, smiling.

"Okay, fine, it's really, really tedious," Ruby admitted.

"I understand," Vincent said. "But we're going to need all the protection we can get because these people are crucial to the success of our village. If there's even the slightest chance that the Grimm might attack, then we'll need guards to protect the workers. I cannot spare many warriors because ultimately, the town will need the most defense, so I take as many as I can and then I need your help."

"Then can you include me on any other things?" Ruby asked. "Maybe I can go with you guys on hunting trips, or I can just hunt for you."

"Our supplies are sufficient for now," Vincent said, "But I appreciate your offer, and I will consider you for any future expeditions."

"Thank you," Ruby said, relieved that she might have something else to do.

They said their goodbyes and parted ways, the gates slamming shut as Ruby began to the trek back to her campsite, eager to check on her beowolves. Their howls and barks alerted her to their presence as she neared the campsite, red eyes glowing in the night as they awaited her return.

Ruby greeted them, patting their heads. She wrestled with them for awhile, laughing and hugging their warm bodies, then went off to cook some more jerky. The beowolves left the campsite, fading into the forest, but Ruby didn't worry, knowing that they might be gone for a while but would eventually return.

Pulling out another chunk of flesh from underneath a pile of snow, Ruby sliced thicker ribbons, hoping that they would end up less dry. This time she also put less wood into the hearth before stringing the meat up, realizing that it would probably taste better slightly under-cooked than as a piece of charcoal.

Feeling a little itchy from standing around all day, Ruby sliced up a few more trees, adding to her growing pile of firewood. A little more tired but still not tired enough, Ruby spent another hour practicing her scythe forms, hurling herself through the air and imagining herself fighting an invisible enemy.

The moon was high in the sky when she finally stopped, feeling a little thirsty. Stuffing a canteen with snow, she hung it over the fire, letting it boil and cool before drinking it. The exercise had left her a little more tired, but she still felt as though something was missing.

Since the night was clear, with no sign of clouds or impending snowstorms, Ruby spread out her cloak and lay down outside, staring up into the stars.

Hoping something interesting would happen, she nodded off, her slumber filled with dreams of orgiastic violence.

* * *

**Note:**

**And that's this chapter. Read, rate, review, and tell me if you see any typos! I correct this really late and I'm extremely tired, so I might make some stupid mistakes**

**Sorry if this chapter was a little dry, I'm setting up some stuff and reintroducing Ruby's scene again :3**

**Oh yes, and I passed 100k words awhile ago! :D**


	41. Infiltration

The next few days were spent gathering the wood, the gigantic trees being cut down in size and dragged into the village piece by piece. Ruby grew increasingly bored, each day free of any Grimm attacks and not even a single Grimm sighting.

She tried talking to the other guards, but they had nothing to talk about with her, and Ruby didn't really know what to say either, so she gave up after a few awkward greetings. Instead, she started chopping down smaller trees when she could, whittling away pieces and carving random shapes as she walked around on her guard duty. After invariably ending up with sharp sticks of wood, she would drop them in the snow and carve out another chunk of wood. The guards eventually grew used to this odd behavior, learning to avoid stepping on the debris she left behind.

The speed of cutting grew as the work crew developed a system, eventually managing to convert an entire spruce into lumber and dragging the wood back each day. After two weeks of woodcutting, they had gathered more than enough for a couple buildings.

Although Ruby had been bored out of her mind, she still felt a little sad when Vincent told her that they were done gathering wood. The rest of the workers had gone back already as the two stood outside the gates, under the walls and talking alone.

"You did well," Vincent said. "Perhaps we will have a hunting expedition soon."

Ruby looked down, her eyebrows scrunched up as she fiddled with a strip of steelsilk hanging look from her clothing. "Um," she began. "When, uh, when can I live at the village?" Ruby asked nervously.

Vincent's face grew impassive, his expression unreadable. "When you have sufficiently proved yourself," he stated. "The safety of our citizens come first, and you are a liability."

Ruby's heart sank at his cold tone. "It just gets a little lonely out here, you know?" Ruby said, her voice cracking.

Vincent surprised her by leaning down, tilting her chin back as he stared into her eyes. "Tell me, Red, how many people have you killed?" he asked, his voice rich and deep and commanding, a throaty growl.

Ruby shivered a little, the sound vibrating through her. "W-what do you mean?" she asked nervously, not moving as they stared face to face, her head held in place.

"Answer the question," he rumbled.

Ruby had thought he didn't know about her past, but now she was rapidly becoming less sure. "I don't want to talk about it," Ruby said evasively.

"A lot of people?" Vincent prodded, his bronze eyes boring into hers.

His gaze was unnerving Ruby, so she ripped her head out of his grip, immediately taking a few steps back. "It's in the past now," she responded, adjusting her cloak.

Vincent nodded, standing up. "So now you know why I am reluctant to allow you into the town," he said, dusting the snow off of his uniform. "Perhaps in the future, when you have proved that you are stable and trustworthy, I will reconsider your admission."

"But that's not fair," Ruby protested, folding her arms. "I can't take back what I've already done."

"So you have killed," Vincent noted.

"I-" Ruby choked on her words, letting out a small cry of frustration.

In a swirl of red, she turned around, her fists clenched by her sides as she stalked away, back into the forest. Vincent watched her as she left, wondering if he should just kill her now before she grew into an even bigger threat.

* * *

Ruby rampaged through the forest, slicing down everything that she could find, smashing the trunks of thicker trees into splinters as she tore through the woods, leaving behind a trail of felled trees and upturned snow. The beowolves stayed away from her, her anger scaring them, memories of her torture resurfacing in their minds.

 _The past still follows me,_  Ruby thought angrily.  _I should have expected it._

She mentally berated herself for bringing her own hopes up, for telling herself that she would be able to atone for her mistakes just by gaining the trust of the faunus and helping them out.  _Stupid, stupid, stupid_ _,_ she told herself.  _Who would trust a stranger that shows up out of nowhere?_

Ruby stopped smashing trees for a second, panting and thinking. She should crush them, kill them all. Who were they to stop her from getting to the warm, live bodies? How could they deny her the right to enter? She would climb the wall, she would slaughter everyone, she would make them scream...

Ruby forced herself to sit, to lie in the snow. The coldness brought clarity to her mind as she told herself to calm down, to consider things rationally. There wouldn't be a point to traveling this far and just killing them, she decided. And Vincent had probably heard about her past from someone else, maybe someone from Vale, so he probably knew about everything.

Thinking more clearly now, Ruby realized that despite knowing, Vincent had given her a chance to show that she had changed. He had given her an opportunity, and she would take it. She would hide these feelings, and she would show him that she could behave normally, and she would be able to be near all those people...

Letting out a breath, she scrubbed her face with some snow and stood back up, following the line of broken trees back to her campsite. The moon was already high in the sky, Ruby having spent hours taking out her anger on the forest. Her muscles trembled a little, and she was hungry and thirsty.

As she walked back, she briefly considered telling them that Everest had sent her. However, she wasn't sure if they knew who Everest was, and if they knew that a human was helping them, so she decided against it, realizing that it could put her into deeper trouble and that it could tangle her tenuous relationship with the faunus even further.

Starting up a fire again, Ruby sat in front of it, thawing her frozen chunks of meat and heating up some snow. The beowolves had gone hunting, now that the frequent snowstorms had died down.

Eating the warm, half-cooked ribs and crunching through the bones, Ruby stared up at the large wooden walls of the town. Her campsite had grown larger, enough trees cut away now that Ruby had an unimpeded view of the village. Looking more closely, it seemed wrong to call the settlement just a  _village._  It was more a fortress, with wide walkways on the tops of the walls and guard towers poking out. Even the main gate looked impressive in the night, the moonlight giving it a huge, menacing shadow.

Ruby fingered her scythe, wondering if it would be possible to climb the wall. Mark hadn't been able to come visit her, probably due to her outsider status and the strict leaving/exiting rules, so maybe she go could visit him.

If she chose a gap between the blind spots of the guards and moved quickly, she could probably make it to the wall undetected. Then all she would have to do is carve handholds into the wall with her scythe, then climb up and drop down onto the other side.

Not tonight, however. Ruby was still tired, her muscles a little sore, and the warm meal filling her stomach was making her sleepy. Drinking the last bit of water, Ruby spread her cloak out on the ground and lie down, falling asleep in seconds.

* * *

Ruby woke up at noon, the sunlight pouring in from the hole at the top of the tent. The beowolves were either out hunting or sleeping now, so Ruby was on her own.

Eating a quick lunch, she walked off towards the walls, deciding to do some planning before her attempt. The weather seemed to be slightly warmer as Ruby walked through the woods, the sky a bright blue and the sun shining down, unobstructed. She could swear she heard some bird calls, but she wasn't able to locate them and eventually gave up.

Purposefully placing herself in the guard tower's line of sight, she walked out of the woods, casually taking a stroll. The wooden walls were about fifty feet high, made out of large interlocking sections of wood. Ruby noted that the surface of the wall was rough, meaning that she would have an easier time climbing it.

The avian faunus looked at her suspiciously as she walked up to the guard tower, Ruby shouting out a "Hello!" and waving as she got closer.

"What are you doing here?" the faunus asked, frowning.

"Just sightseeing," Ruby said, smiling. "Am I not allowed to be here?"

Although she was an outsider, she wasn't exactly an enemy, so the faunus just shrugged. "I guess you can be here," he said cautiously, looking around.

"Great!" Ruby exclaimed.

She walked around a bit, looking forward and wondering if the faunus in the next tower could see her.

"So how long does winter last here?" Ruby asked. "Do you think it will be spring anytime soon?"

The guard just stared at her. "Don't you have anything else to do?"

"Not really," Ruby said, craning her neck to look at the faunus. "I'm really bored."

The guard sighed, resigned to the fact that she wasn't leaving. "We still have about two months left of winter," he said, trying to answer her questions so she would go away.

"Sounds good," Ruby said, kicking at the snow. "What do you guys do for fun?"

"This is a town," the faunus said. "What do you think people do in a town?"

"I was just asking," Ruby pouted.

He sighed again. "Can I call you Red?" he asked. Ruby nodded, surprised that he knew her name. "Red, I'm on guard duty. I'm not supposed to be distracted while on duty, and I'm definitely not supposed to be talking to  _you_."

"Fine," Ruby said, walking away. "I'll go bother someone else."

"You go do that," the guard muttered, resuming his lookout.

Ruby kept walking until she reached the next guard tower, waving as she approached it. The young faunus in the tower stared at her, just as hostile as the previous one.

"Those rabbit ears can hear pretty well, huh?" Ruby asked, trying to start a conversation.

She frowned. "I'm a hare faunus."

"I, uh, I didn't know there was a difference," Ruby said, startled at her response.

"Silly humans," she said wearily, shaking her head. "How do you expect to mend our racial divides if you can't even tell the difference between a hare and a rabbit?"

"Well, what are the differences?" Ruby asked curiously.

"We're bigger and stronger, and we don't socialize as much as the rabbit faunus do," she explained. "Also, our ears are longer and they're tipped with black," she said, holding up a floppy ear. "See?"

Ruby's fingers twitched, wanting to stroke the soft ears and maybe keep one as a souvenir. She shoved her hands behind her, feeling for her scythe and wondering if she should just climb up there.

"You want to touch my ears, don't you?" the rabbit faunus said, her face taking on a weary expression again. "Why can't you humans keep your hands to yourselves?"

Ruby was startled for a second, then cleared her throat, trying to put on an innocent expression. "Do you know anyone named Mark?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Why do you want to know?" the faunus asked suspiciously.

 _Why do you ask so many questions?_  Ruby thought to herself. "I just wanted to send him a message," she said truthfully.

"I'm not going to bring him death threats," the hare said.

"Wha-? Why would you- nevermind," Ruby said, exasperated. "So you know who he is?"

The hare nodded. "Like I said, I-"

"Just tell him that I'm fine," Ruby interrupted, "And that if he wants to see me, he should find a way to join the next hunting trip."

The hare faunus suddenly grinned. "Oooh, star-crossed lovers, are we?"

Ruby ran a hand through her hair, taking deep breaths. "No, I- ugh, whatever, okay, sure."

"This is so romantic," the faunus said excitedly, beaming. "Don't worry, I'll make sure your message gets to him."

"Thanks," Ruby said through gritted teeth, plastering a smile on her face.

"No problem," the rabbit faunus called after her as she walked away.

Ruby wondered if all hare faunus that weird as she walked toward the next guard tower. She spent the rest of the day walking a full circle around the walls, talking to the guards that would speak to her and letting them familiarize themselves to her presence.

By the time she had circled the walls, the sun had set, the sky already dark. It had taken Ruby quite a few hours to circle the entire settlement, the walls stretching onward for a huge distance. She was now back at the main gates, thinking about her next course of action.

Deciding that she was hungry from an entire afternoon of walking, she went back to camp to eat a bit of food. The beowolves ran up to her when she arrived, growling and panting and seeking reassurance that she was still there. She petted them, stroking their fur and asking if they were hungry. They seemed to be fine, having hunted well, so Ruby just prepared her own dinner, setting up another stand to make some jerky.

The beowolves slunk back into the darkness, playfully tussling with each other, and Ruby sat down in the tent, deciding to take a short nap before doing anything.

* * *

She woke up a few hours later, the campfire dead, the night dark and silent. She grabbed the jerky, wrapping it in some fabric and stuffing it into her pouch. Sliding out of the tent, she made sure that she had her rolls of steelsilk, checked her scythe to make sure it was usable, then set off toward the village.

The weather had been warmer, the snow on the trees melted, so Ruby quickly moved to the edge of the forest by jumping from branch to branch. She traveled under the cover of the trees for a bit, centering herself in a blind spot between two guard towers.

Veiled by the darkness of the night, she crept toward the wall, hoping that the lack of light would help hide her colors. A few tense minutes later, she made it to the wall. The wooden structure was fifty feet tall, made up of huge interlocking logs of wood.

Slowly and silently partially unfolding the back end of her scythe, she sliced out a gouge at her head level, then sunk her scythe into the wood higher up. Using both handholds, she pulled herself upwards, bracing herself with her foot as she plucked the scythe out and transferred her hand to the new hole, then sunk the scythe higher up again.

Like an ice climber with one ice pickax, she made her way up the wall slowly, making sure that she would be able to use the handholds again the next time she needed them. The openings she had made were shallow and only a quarter-inch wide, barely enough for her to slip her fingertips into, and hopefully small enough not to be noticed during the way.

Ten minutes later, she had scaled the wall, climbing over the top and folding her scythe. Looking around and making sure no guards were patrolling near her, she took a moment to gaze at the immense settlement. As a whole, the settlement was a couple miles wide, the walls surrounding a mostly empty space filled with scattered clusters of buildings.

The largest cluster was in the center, seemingly the main section of town. It was filled with brick, stone, and wood buildings, their light sources visible from far away. Two buildings rose up incredibly high, their stone roofs poking over the walls, the gap between them bridged with a walkway. They seemed to be some sort of observatory, high enough to survey the entire settlement. It was hard to make out the details from this far away, but Ruby thought she saw a few people walking into the town, traveling in from the outskirts and disappearing behind the buildings.

There was another cluster of buildings near her, this small area made up of mostly wooden houses, with one or two stone buildings. It was situated directly against the wall, with no signs of light in it. The window frames were filled with wooden shutters, and dirt paths cleared of snow connected the buildings.

Off in the distance, she could see more clusters, some near and some far from the main town. A few had some lights, but most of them were dark, only the main town having enough illumination to be visible from where Ruby was standing.

Thinking that she had to start from somewhere, Ruby leaned over the edge of the ramparts and anchored her scythe into the wall, tying the end of a roll of steelsilk to it. She let the steelsilk drop down, the material unraveling as it fell. The spool hit a flat roof, bounced a little, and stopped.

Tugging a little to make sure the scythe was secure, Ruby firmly grabbed the steelsilk, rappelling down. She lightly stepped onto the roof, trying to make as little noise as possible with her boots. With a sharp tug, she yanked the scythe out of the wall, reaching up and snatching it out of the air. She then untied the steelsilk and rolled it back up, slipping it into her pouch, and holstered her scythe, shifting it to its portable form and reholstering it.

The house was dark, the windows shuttered closed with thin panels of wood. Ruby crouched and stealthily crept to the edge of the roof, grabbing it and sliding her legs over, hanging off of the roof by her arms. There was a windowsill a few feet away, so Ruby tightly gripped the roof and sidled over to it, using the toes of her boots to nudge the shutters open, then letting go and dropping onto the edge of the windowsill.

The room was dark, the window opening up into the kitchen of the one-story house. The edges of the stone countertop gleamed in the moonlight as Ruby slid her legs over it, dropping to the floor.

And then a knife was pressed to her abdomen, the hand around her throat slamming her head back into the stone countertop.

"Don't move or I'll gut you," a voice whispered in her ear.

* * *

**Note:**

**Oh look, a cliffhanger. I should do more of these more often. :3**

**Sorry about the really late update(can I even call it that? It's like a day of delay _)**

**It was a really tiring week, and exhaustion just caught up to me and I fell asleep on the couch. Ugh.**

**So anyways, that's this chapter, read and review, and hopefully there will be no more delays in the future.**


	42. Infiltration Pt 2

Ruby's first reaction was to immediately start struggling, trying to the pry the hand away from her throat. She was surprised when the knife sunk into her stomach and two hands grabbed her shoulders, flipping her around and slamming her head into the table again. Cold steel snapped into place around her wrists, her hands now handcuffed behind her.

Realizing that starting an all-out fight was probably a bad decision in the middle of a small town, Ruby tamped down her raging aura, going limp, the hands still holding her down.

"Wait," she gasped, coughing out a little blood. "I won't hurt you, promise."

"The fuck?" the voice said. "I'm not scared of you hurting me, but why aren't you dead yet?"

"Um," Ruby said. "Could you not shout? I'm trying to avoid being detected."

The pressure on her back lifted, and Ruby slowly turned herself around, seeing a shadowy figure back away from her, grabbing a lantern and switching it on, setting it down on the table next to a folder of documents.

Ruby blinked a little, her eyes adjusting to the sudden light. A rabbit faunus stood in front of her, with deep blue hair and scarlet eyes. She was quite a bit taller than Ruby, wearing a fluffy white nightrobe and slippers. Her youthful appearance belied her world-weary eyes that were full of mistrust and suspicion. Her hair was let down, the shimmers of blue cascading below her shoulders.

"What are you doing in my house?" she demanded, going to the kitchen counter and pulling out another knife. "I'm going to stab you again if you try to lie to me."

Ruby thought for a second, not really wanting to be stabbed. "Do you know anyone named Mark?" she finally said.

"What? Never heard of him, and that wasn't an answer," the rabbit said, walking towards her.

"Okay, wait wait wait," Ruby said, panicking a little. "I just wanted to see what was behind these walls, and whether or not I could get into contact with Mark."

The rabbit faunus stopped. "Are you the new arrival? The one that's supposed to be staying  _outside_  of New Haven?"

"New Haven?" Ruby asked incredulously. "That's this town's name?"

The rabbit grimaced. "Yeah, yeah, I didn't make that decision. And anyways, we're getting off topic."

She noticed the knife sticking out of Ruby's stomach, blood dripping down her leg and pooling on the tiled floor. "Let me remove the knife so you stop bleeding all over my kitchen," she said, walking towards Ruby and pulling the knife out.

"Isn't this where you ask me if I'm okay?" Ruby said, frowning a little. "And do you mind wrapping something over it? I'm bleeding even more now."

The blood flow had increased after the knife had been taken out, and Ruby had her hands bound behind her.

The rabbit moved to a cabinet, opening it up and rummaging through it. "I heard you were a monster," she said. "Rumors have been spreading, and I don't know how true they are, but you seem to be dealing just fine with a stab wound."

Pulling out a pristine white towel, she looked at it for a second and put it back, eventually finding a rag of cloth.

"So, what's your name?" Ruby asked as the rabbit tied the rag around her midsection, stemming the blood flow and keeping her insides in place.

"Call me Maia," she said, stepping back and taking a good look at Ruby. "You don't  _look_  like a monster," Maia said curiously.

"Thanks, I guess," Ruby said, glad that Maia wasn't calling for help.

"And why are you wearing so little?" Maia asked. "I'm pretty sure those rolls of steelsilk are the only things holding your dress together."

Ruby blushed, realizing how tattered she looked. "Combat skirt," Ruby said, correcting her. "And I haven't had any need for clothing. The cold doesn't really affect me much, and these clothes have a sentimental value."

Maia raised an eyebrow. "Back to the topic. Why shouldn't I just arrest you right now and put you into prison?"

"You can arrest me?" Ruby asked.

Maia nodded. "I'm a police officer. Where do you think I got those handcuffs from? Now answer the question."

"Well, I haven't hurt anyone," Ruby offered.

"Uh huh," Maia said, unconvinced. "And so you sneaked into my house because?"

"I wanted someone to talk to?"

"This conversation is useless," Maia said, frowning. "I'm going to bring you in, and then the Council can make a decision."

Ruby looked around desperately, growing alarmed. "B-but you can't," she said, trying to balance herself with her arms behind her back. "Then they won't let me live here."

"Not my problem," Maia said, walking towards her. "I have bigger issues to deal with."

Seeing that she had no choice, Ruby flared her aura, tugging her wrists apart, her bones bruising and cracking a little, the metal groaning, and she snapped the handcuffs in half, two metal bracelets around her wrists.

Maia backed away, startled. "What the fu-"

Ruby blinked forward in a swirl of rose petals, slamming a fist into her stomach and smashing a palm into her temple, dropping her to the floor. Maia was now slumped sideways on the ground, her robe spread to the side, giving Ruby a nice view of her long legs and shapely bottom. After a few seconds, Ruby managed to pull herself away from the sight and tell herself to  _think_ , wondering what she could do now.

Killing the faunus would raise too much suspicion, Ruby decided, crouching down and stroking Maia's legs, the smooth skin like silk underneath her fingers. Especially because she was a police woman.

Ruby stood up, walking toward the lantern that was illuminating the room. Remembering the pile of documents beside it, she sifted through them, opening them up and skimming them quickly, knowing that Maia would probably come to in a minute or so. She hadn't hit her that hard, and she had her sturdy faunus constitution.

The documents seemed to contain information on cases, with names and times and places highlighted, a few things marked "IMPORTANT" or "KEEP AWAY FROM SHERIFF", so she took the entire folder, pulling a few towels out of the closet and wrapping the folder up, typing it to her shoulder.

Maia was stirring, so Ruby crouched next to her, shaking her.

Maia's eyes blinked wide open, staring at Ruby. "Wha-?"

"Shh," Ruby said, placing a finger over her lips. "I took the documents on your table."

Her hunch that the documents were important was confirmed when Maia immediately tried to stand up, her motor skills not yet fully recovered after the knockout. "Wait," she pleaded. "Don't take those."

"Sorry, but I'll give them back when I know you won't report me," Ruby said, standing up. "And I probably won't be coming back for awhile, so don't even think about trying to set me up."

Typing a long ribbon of steelsilk to the end of her scythe, Ruby stepped out of the window and jumped to the roof, Maia still trying to get up. Swinging her scythe on the end of the ribbon, Ruby threw it upwards in an arc, embedding it into the side of the wall. She immediately jumped up and began climbing, pulling herself up using the ribbon.

She quickly made her way to the top, not looking behind her. Running across the walkway, she didn't even bother to anchor her scythe before jumping down, slamming into a bank of snow and absorbing the impact across her body.

Making sure that her stomach wound hadn't opened up and spilled her organs everywhere, Ruby began to run, retracing the footsteps she had made in the snow. Hopefully the large amount of walking she had done in the past day would help disguise her tracks and let them blend into the surroundings.

The document thumped against her shoulder as she ran, Ruby slowing down when she reached the forest and making sure that nothing had spilled out. As she walked back to camp, she took out a roll of steelsilk and used part of it to further wrap the towel-encased folder, making sure it was waterproof before shoving it under a bank of snow at her campsite.

The handcuffs took a while to remove, Ruby eventually just taking her scythe and slicing them to pieces.

Ruby ate a bit of the preserved vegetables and jerky the faunus had given her, then set up another stand to make her own jerky, noting that she would probably have to hunt again sometime soon. It was already very late, most of night gone due to her excursion, so Ruby finished her meal and immediately went to sleep, wrapping her cloak around herself.

* * *

Ruby woke up the next morning expecting to see faunus surrounding her campsite and demanding her return of the documents, but nothing happened, the air nice and peaceful. Ruby lay back down, still a little sleepy, and dozed off again.

It was already past noon when she woke up again, yawning and stretching, clipping her cloak back into place. Taking the jerky down from the stand, she munched on the dried meat as she pulled the bundle of documents out from under the snow.

Carefully spreading her cloak under herself, she sat down on it and set down the documents. Unwrapping the steelsillk and the towels, she spread the sheets of paper out, beginning to read through them.

The papers were police reports and evidence, along with some of Maia's own notes and conclusions. Ruby read through the reports, realizing that Maia had been gathering evidence and testimonies on all the assaults and thefts that had occurred since New Haven's founding. Names were circled and timestamps were underlined with pen and marker, each outlined thing written down on a map of the overall settlement.

Rummaging around the pile, Ruby caught sight of a thick piece of paper, pulling it out and unfolding it. The paper flipped open to reveal a large tree of rectangular boxes, indicating a structure of command with a few spaces at the top and an increasing amount of spaces at the bottom. There were many blanks and dead ends, indicating faunus that witnesses had seen but were unable to identify.

A notepad was filled with neat, structured thoughts, with plenty of strikethroughs and lines drawn to connect ideas. Most of it was gibberish to Ruby, as she didn't know any of the names and places mentioned, but there were a lot of statements indicating that Maia was recently becoming frustrated and unable to make progress.

Ruby wasn't even done with half of the folder by the time the sun had set, an entire afternoon spent reading and thinking about the contents of the documents. It was too dark to read now, so Ruby carefully rearranged the documents back into order, wrapping them into place with steelsilk and then covering them with towels and another layer of steelsilk.

Carefully stashing the folder in another bank of snow, Ruby put her cloak back on and stood up, yawning and stretching. Setting up a campfire, she cooked the last bit of her frozen meat, eating a hot meal, and warmed some snow, drinking it. She wondered if she could ask Maia for some spices and tea, as she was getting a little bored of eating plain raw flesh and drinking stale water.

The beowolves arrived some time later, crowding around Ruby and jumping on her. Ruby played them, wrestling and tussling, throwing trunks of trees into the air for them to catch. After Ruby had thrown them around sufficiently, the beowolves melted back into the forest, going off to do beowolf things.

Ruby dusted herself off, making a mental note to go hunting the next morning. The night was cool but still warmer than before, the weather shifting to early spring. However, there was still a lot of residual snow, and the temperatures weren't yet warm enough to melt it, so the snow formed a crusty layer on the top with softer ice underneath.

Not wanting to further damage her clothing, Ruby took the aerial route, leaping through the trees as she retraced her path from the previous night. The moon was less bright tonight, a few clouds drifting over it and obscuring its light.

Making sure to perfectly retrace her footsteps, Ruby made her way across the clearing to the previous indentations she had carved in the wall, looking around to make sure that there weren't any guards at the top. She didn't need her scythe as she climbed up the wooden structure, instead just slipping her fingers into the slices she had made and quickly climbing her way up, sometimes skipping a few handholds.

At the top of the wall, Ruby looked around carefully, wondering if Maia had set up any traps for her. Seeing that the coast was clear, she did the same rappelling trick, softly landing on the roof of Maia's house.

"Just come in already," came a voice. "You do realize that I can hear you, right?"

Ruby scrambled off of the house, jumping to the ground and going to the front door, knocking. The dirt street was deserted at this time of the night, all the other houses dark and quiet.

Maia opened the door, motioning for her to come in. Her chest was covered with a black bulletproof vest, and she wore a dark blue long-sleeved enforcer jacket and matching dress pants. A black leather belt wrapped around her waist, two holstered pistols, a pouch, and a police radio attached to it. Her hair was hidden behind a blue peaked hat that was rimmed with black, completing the ensemble.

"Well, come on in," Maia said impatiently as Ruby cautiously poked her head into the room.

Ruby stepped through the doorway and spun around, facing Maia and putting a hand on her scythe.

"I'm not going to arrest you, alright?" Maia said. "I need those documents back, and I don't know where you've hidden them."

Seeing that Ruby was still on the defensive, Maia unclipped her belt and set it onto the table with a  _clunk_ _._ "Better?"

Ruby nodded, moving her hand away from her weapon and straightening out her cloak.

"What do you want for the documents?" Maia asked. "I can give you my promise not to turn you in, but I doubt you'd trust me."

"An oath of eternal loyalty," Ruby quipped.

Maia frowned, tapping her foot, unamused. "Didn't you say you weren't going to come back tonight?" she recalled.

Ruby thought for a moment. "Well, I read through the documents, and if I'm not mistaken, you're trying to gather evidence to convict some people, right?"

"You read through them?" Maia exclaimed. "If you damaged anything..."

"No, no, they're perfectly fine," Ruby assured her. "I was just wondering why you would be doing something like this."

"What do you mean?" Maia said innocently. "I'm a police officer, this is my job."

"But some of the writing says to keep the papers away from the sheriff, and you keep writing about corruption in the police department," Ruby pointed out.

Maia sagged a little. "I guess I was a little too obvious," she admitted.

"So?" Ruby prodded.

Maia took a breath, letting it out. "There's been an unusually high amount of crimes in New Haven ever since its founding," she explained. "I only got here a few months ago, but I noticed that a lot of cases had been closed even though the perpetrators or stolen belongings hadn't been found."

"So you decided to investigate?"

Maia nodded. "I started working in secret, gathering evidence and asking around about what had happened. A lot of people were willing to talk to me, and so I found out that the investigators had simply ignored all the evidence they had been given. At this point, I realized that the people who were committing crimes had connections to the police."

"And now you're going to find evidence, give it to people like Vincent, and arrest all of the bribed officers, right?" Ruby concluded, growing excited.

"No," Maia said, shaking her head. "It doesn't work like that. The police force is already pretty small, and if I had all the corrupt people leave then we'd be left with nothing."

Ruby deflated. "Then what are you going to do?" she asked.

Maia debated with herself for a moment. "Ah fuck it," she sighed. "I'll tell you everything, and you'll give me the documents back, alright?"

"Only if you let me help you," Ruby said stubbornly.

"Why would you want to help?" Maia asked, surprised.

"I want to prove that I can be a good person, and then they'll let me live here, with actual people," Ruby said. "It's really boring living outside."

"You want to help us because you're bored?" Maia said incredulously.

"And because I want to be a better person," Ruby reminded her.

"But you're not even allowed to be in here."

"Well, that hasn't stopped me, has it? And I can just sneak around during the night. I'll be stealthy, I promise."

Maia thought for a second. "Well you are strong, and I  _could_  use you as backup," she decided. "I can just give you something to hide your face, and then you're going to need a change of clothes."

"Great!" Ruby beamed, beginning to strip.

"Wait, I haven't even told you what my plan is," Maia said, frowning.

Ruby stopped. "Oh, right."

"Since I can't really overturn the existing power structure, I'm going to focus on helping those people and then try to catch the perpetrators," Maia explained. "We can follow them around and film them, then stop them from committing crimes."

"Sounds good," Ruby said. "Is there anyone else who could help us?"

"If there was anyone else, I wouldn't be accepting your help," Maia stated, staring at her.

"Harsh," Ruby complained, wincing.

"I'm still a little reluctant about having a murderer help me, you know, no matter how desperate I am. But I haven't seen you kill anyone yet, I don't know if the rumors are true or not, and you didn't kill me last night after you knocked me unconscious, so I'll believe in your good intentions for now."

Maia paused for a second.

"Also, I really need those documents, and I have a feeling you're not going to stop bothering me unless you get to do something."

"Yup," Ruby agreed, smiling.

"When did everything start going so poorly?" Maia muttered, taking off her bulletproof vest and setting her cap down onto the table.

"When you transferred here?" Ruby suggested, watching her.

"Ha-ha." she said, taking off her uniform, a black tank-top underneath it.

Ruby drooled a little as she watched her strip, quickly wiping the corner of her mouth. She wanted to stroke Maia's supple, firm body, fondle her breasts, bury her nose in that brilliant blue hair, so she sat on her hands, not willing to jeopardize the uneasy truce.

"Can we do anything tonight?" Ruby asked, trying to distract herself.

Maia rummaged through the closet, shivering a little, finding a white bathrobe and putting it on. She turned to Ruby, shaking her head as she undid her ponytail.

"My clothes are too long, so I'll get you some normal-sized ones tomorrow," she explained. "Maybe I can also get you some perfume or odor-killing substance to disguise your human smell."

Maia paused, leaning closer to Ruby and sniffing. "That's odd," she said, a puzzled expression on her face. "I can barely smell anything coming from you. It's like you don't even have a scent. You just smell, I don't know, alive?"

"Don't ask me," Ruby said, shrugging.

Giving one final sniff, Maia pulled away, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Well, that's going to be useful."

"Okay," Ruby said, trying to finalize the agreement. "So we agree that if I don't tell anyone about what you're doing, and I return your documents, you don't report me and I get to help you, right?"

"Right," Maia responded, looking around for something. "Damn it," she exclaimed. "I'm out of firewood."

"I have a lot; I could bring you some," Ruby offered.

Maia raised an eyebrow. "You're going to carry it over the wall?"

Ruby nodded. "I'm an aura user, so it'll be easy for me. Are you an aura user?" she asked.

"Yeah," Maia said, realizing why she wanted to know. "I guess I could go with you," she speculated. "We could bring back a large amount of firewood that way."

"Uh, wouldn't people notice if you suddenly had a huge pile of firewood in your house?" Ruby wondered. "I mean, you guys aren't even allowed to go outside the walls, are you?"

"It's fine," Maia said, dismissing her concerns. "I'm the only one who lives here, and we could just store it in the basement. It gets really damn cold, so it'll be worth it."

"Do you want to change?" Ruby asked, noticing her attire. "It's pretty cold outside."

"Yeah, give me a second," Maia said, taking off her bathrobe and pulling off her dress pants.

Ruby tried not to stare at her long legs, instead looking up at the ceiling.

"Let's go," Maia said a few seconds later.

Ruby looked back down. Maia was wearing a parka, snow pants, and thick black gloves, clearly dressed for the cold.

"Aren't you faunus supposed to be cold-resistant?" Ruby asked, standing up.

"Not all of us are, and where I come from, it's sunny all year-round," Maia explained, impatiently walking toward the door. "And I hate the cold."

"Then why'd you come here?" Ruby asked. "Let's take the window, I want to get onto the roof."

Maia walked towards the window, following Ruby as she pulled herself up. "Because I heard about the so-called New Haven, and I wanted to help," she said, crawling onto the roof. "I thought I could handle a little bit of cold weather. And besides, it's not snowy all the time."

Ruby swung her scythe on a length of steelsilk, anchoring it into the wall and beginning to climb up. "Let me go first," Ruby said. "I don't know if this will hold both of us."

Maia nodded, waiting for Ruby to get to the top before beginning her climb up. She was a little unsteady at first, and Ruby was afraid she would slip, but Maia eventually made it to the top, flaring a little bit of blue aura and throwing herself over the parapet.

Ruby pulled her scythe out of the wall, preparing to anchor it to the other side.

"Guard!" Maia whispered furiously.

"Wha-?" Ruby managed to say, and then Maia pulled her over the edge and they started falling.

* * *

**Note:**

**And that was this chapter.**

**Yay, new characters, I love new characters.**

**I hope you find her interesting too, I really like her concept.**

**As always, read and review, PM me, and so forth. :)**


	43. Infiltration Pt 3

The fall was brief, the pair hitting the ground in less than two seconds.

Unfortunately, Ruby had cleared away a lot of the snow beneath them with her constant walking and excursions to New Haven, resulting in a hard landing on the frozen ground.

Since Maia had pulled her over the ledge, Ruby was underneath her, slamming into the ground face-first with Maia on top of her. Ruby’s aura protected her from most of the impact, including Maia’s joints being slammed into her back, but her nose still broke, blood beginning to stream out.

“Ugh,” Ruby moaned, her brain rattled.

“Shh,” Maia whispered furiously, putting a finger to her lips.

She craned her neck around, looking at the top of the wall. The guard passed their previous position a few seconds later, oblivious to what had just occurred.

The two lay like that for a few minutes, Maia on top of Ruby, making sure that the guard had left.

“We’re in the clear,” Maia said, rolling off of Ruby. “Sorry about that.”

“No problem,” Ruby mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her head.

She noticed the blood streaming down her chin, staining the steelsilk wraps and the shreds of her skirt. “Oh come on,” she complained, frantically wiping the blood off and into the snow.

“Stop that,” Maia said, turning the pink snow over. “They’ll notice the bloodstains on the snow.”

Ruby grabbed her nose and snapped it back into place, wincing at the cracking sound. She wiped the blood off with her cloak, hoping that its waterproofing would prevent the blood from staining it.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” Maia asked, as they started walking towards the forest.

Ruby shook her head. “Physical pain doesn’t hurt much,” she responded.

They walked for a few minutes in a straight line, eventually reaching the edge of the forest. Ruby led the way as they walked toward her camp.

“You agreed to come with me pretty quickly,” Ruby observed. “Don’t you want to stay home and rest?”

“In that cold as hell house? No way,” Maia said, shaking her head and stepping around a tree. “You’re not bringing me out here to kill me, are you?”

Ruby stumbled, surprised. “Uh, no?”

Maia nodded to herself. “Good, ‘cause you wouldn’t be able to.”

Ruby didn’t want to argue with her, so she changed the topic.

“So I heard that rabbits were pretty social,” Ruby began. “But you seem to be living by yourself.”

“I’m in the police force,” Maia said, ducking under a low tree branch. “So a lot of the faunus don’t like me based on principle, and the rabbit faunus community doesn’t accept me. Not surprising, considering the level of corruption in our department.”

“But why would you live alone?” Ruby asked curiously.

“Well, as a police officer I get the option to live in the police housing,” Maia explained. “But the neighborhood is empty because most of the police officers actually live in their own communities.”

“Doesn’t it get lonely?”

Maia shook her head. “I’m used to it by now,” she said. “Might as well take a free house with peace and solitude than try to fit in where I don’t belong.”

Ruby nodded, understanding.

“By the way, how’s your stomach?” Maia asked, noticing that Ruby had no trouble moving through the dense forest.

“It’s already fine,” Ruby said, realizing that the rag was still around her midsection. She took it off, placing the rag into her pouch, and pulled the torn edges of her dress slightly apart, showing the pale white scar.

Maia’s eyes widened. “Wow, you heal fast. Sorry about stabbing you and sorry about the scar,” she apologized.

“No, no, it’s fine,” Ruby assured her. “I already have plenty of scars, so it fits right in.”

Maia took a moment to digest that statement. “I see,” she said softly, lapsing into silence.

When they reached the campsite, the beowolves immediately ran into the clearing, growling at the newcomer. Maia leapt back, patting her pants and realizing she had forgotten to take her weapons.

“Red, do something!” Maia yelled.

Ruby ran forward and hugged them, putting them into headlocks and physically dragging them backwards.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Ruby whispered to the beowolves. “The scary lady won’t hurt you.”

“What do you mean, ‘scary lady’?” Maia said, frowning. “I’m not the one raising pet beowolves.”

The beowolves, reassured by Ruby but still suspicious of Maia, retreated into the woods, patrolling the perimeter.

“You know, the Grimm don’t exactly me make trust you more,” Maia said, looking around the camp.

 “They’re really good watchdogs,” Ruby offered.

Maia made a sound of disbelief, pointing at the piles of wood Ruby had scattered around the clearing. “What the hell?”

There were nearly a dozen giant stacks of firewood, all neatly corded and piled up.

“I had a lot of time,” Ruby said, shrugging.

Striding forward, she started dragging down cords of wood, tying together a large bundle of a few hundred pounds and strapping it to her back. Maia also put an impressive amount on her back, borrowing some steelsilk from Ruby and strapping it on.

“Bring as much as you can carry,” Maia said. “We can bring it up the wall in multiple trips.”

Ruby nodded, adding a bit more firewood to her pile. She flared her aura, teetering a little as the gigantic stack of wood on her back almost unbalanced her.

Maia whistled. “Damn, you’re strong,” she said, looking appreciatively at Ruby. “I retract my earlier statement.”

Ruby grinned, beginning to jog towards the wall. She was flaring her aura, and she figured that she might as well take full advantage of it. The tree branches above her splintered as she ran through the woods, exhilarated. She hadn’t been able to run like this in quite a while and she was enjoying it.

She broke through the treeline a few minutes later, Maia right behind her. Crouching down, she ran across the snow, retracing her earlier path. Luckily, the moon was still cloudy, so the two remained undetected as they sprinted across the clearing.

They stopped underneath the wall, panting, and dropped their loads to the ground, looking up and making sure no guards were nearby.

“I’ll go first,” Ruby said, taking a fraction of the wood.

“Wait,” Maia said, stepping forward and examining the handholds. “I think you need to make these a little deeper and wider so you won’t just slip when you try to hold on.”

Ruby nodded, pulling out her scythe and unfolding it.

“Nice weapon,” Maia said enviously. “All I have are some stupid aura-powered guns.”

“You could make your own weapon when you have the time,” Ruby proposed. “Or you could just buy one. I heard that they some really well-made custom weapons on the market.”

“Nah,” Maia said, stuffing her hands into her pockets. “I don’t have enough money, and even if I did, there’re only a few specific weapons allowed for police officers.”

“That sucks,” Ruby said sympathetically, stabbing her scythe into the wall and beginning to climb. “Give me a few minutes,” she called down.

“Be quiet,” Maia hissed.

Ruby mouthed an _oops_ and turned back, continuing to climb. A few minutes later, she reached the top of the wall, then jumped back down, flaring her aura and hitting the ground with a thump, landing with her knees bent and a hand on the ground.

“Let’s do this quickly,” Maia said, grabbing some firewood and tying it to her back. “It’s getting late, and I still have a job to do tomorrow.”

“And I need to get back to camp, in case Vincent tries to contact me again,” Ruby said, shouldering some wood.

Maia raised an eyebrow at her statement but didn’t question it, instead motioning for Ruby to start climbing.

The handholds creaked a little but didn’t break as Ruby climbed up the wall, setting the wood down on the walkway, breathing a little harder.

“Ah shoot,” Ruby said, smacking her forehead. “I need to make handholds on the other side.”

Maia looked down at her house. “Ugh,” she said. “Here, just let me go down first, and you can just wrap the wood and toss it down.”

“Good idea,” Ruby said, pulling out her spool of steelsilk.

The spool still had half of it left, Ruby having carefully recycled the steelsilk she used. She sliced strips off with her scythe and tied together the two stacks of wood they brought up, throwing it to the ground at the side of Maia’s house.

“Be careful,” Maia warned. “I don’t want a hole in my roof.”

“I will,” Ruby promised, anchoring her scythe into the wall and tying a length of steelsilk to it.

Maia grabbed onto the tough fabric and jumped down, sliding down the wall and using her gloves to protect her hands from the friction. She hit the ground rolling, standing up and giving a thumbs-up sign before beginning to drag the firewood into her house.

Ruby jumped off of the wall, repeating the process a couple of times and throwing the firewood into Maia’s yard. After she was done, she rappelled down the wall and joined Maia in lugging the firewood into the house.

The light was on inside, so Ruby finally got her first good look at the inside of the house. The entrance room that also served as the living room was devoid of decoration, only containing a sofa, a work desk, and a wooden chair, paper and pencils scattered on the surface of the desk. The small sofa faced the fireplace, a thin rug between the two. The floor was wooden and bare, transitioning to a tiled floor in the kitchen area.

A counter separated the kitchen and the living room. The kitchen was filled with cabinets and had a single stove, a faucet in the sink. A window covered with wooden shutters lay above the granite countertop, Ruby remembering it as the place she had entered the house from.

To the left of the living room was hallway that led the bedrooms and bathrooms, ending in a small closet.

Maia didn’t bother taking her police boots off as they carried the wood down the hallway, walking into an open door that led the basement. A small light was on halfway down the stairs, and a portable Dust-powered lantern sat in the middle of the low basement, giving off a soft yellow glow. A few large tubes were piled in the corner of the room, some filled with yellow Dust.

“You guys have plumbing?” Ruby asked, surprised after seeing the faucet and the bathroom.

“Yeah, it was one of the first things to be requested,” Maia said, setting down her load and arching her back.

“So how long will this wood last you?” Ruby asked as they walked back up the stairs. “I can always bring you more if you need any.”

“I’ll be fine,” Maia said. “I get home late and I get up early, so I mostly just burn some wood when I’m doing some late-night work or if it’s really cold.”

“Do you do any cooking?” Ruby asked, having noticed her stove.

Maia shook her head, lifting up another pile of wood. “Very little. There are a lot of restaurants in the center of town, so I just buy some food.”

Ruby carried another load, following her down the stairs again. “You guys use money?”

Maia sighed a little, exasperated at the volume of questions. “Yes, we just use lien, but since we’re not connected to the global banking system we just use single currencies, no master lien.”

“So how do you get paid?”

“Do you really have to ask so many questions?”

Ruby paused for a second. “Well, since I’m going to be pretending that I’m a faunus, I should learn how you live, right?”

“That’s a good point,” Maia conceded. “But we should finish lugging this firewood around first and then we can talk.”

Ruby agreed and the two worked in silence for the next few minutes, carefully bringing the firewood down and making sure that they didn’t damage the house.

After the some firewood was left upstairs and the rest stacked in the basement, Ruby took the steelsilk bindings back and rewrapped them into her spool. Maia looked at the watch on her wrist, noticing the time.

“Ah crap,” she muttered. “I have to go to work in an hour.”

“And I need to get back to camp,” Ruby said.

“Screw it,” Maia suddenly said, plopping down on the sofa. “Let’s talk. One hour of sleep won’t help me that much anyways.”

“Alright,” Ruby agreed, sitting down on the chair at the table. “What do you want to talk about?”

“I can finish answering your question first,” Maia said, leaning back on the sofa. “Ugh, it’s cold,” she said, shivering. “Let me start a fire.”

She grabbed a few logs, shoving them and a fistful of kindling into the fireplace. Walking to the kitchen, she opened up a drawer and pulled out a tinderbox.

“We get a little money just by living here,” Maia said, lighting the fire. She sat back on the couch, sighing in satisfaction as heat started radiating from the fireplace. “Those who work earn more money, depending on their job.”

“If I pretend to be a faunus, what are my chances of being discovered?” Ruby asked. “I don’t want to ruin my chances of being allowed to live here.”

“Well, I think you have a good probability of remaining undetected,” Maia said thoughtfully. “All you have to do is claim that you were living alone for a while. We have a couple of loners like that, so you shouldn’t draw too much suspicion.”

“Won’t people recognize that I don’t belong here?”

Maia shook her head. “There are over a thousand people in New Haven, so as a loner it could be possible that you just haven’t gone out and met anyone else before. Also, the only checks we do are when the faunus arrive at the main gate, and then we check to see if their ID matches up. Since you sneaked in, people will just assume that you’re supposed to be here.

“And what about my smell?” Ruby worried.

Maia took a sniff again, confirming her thoughts. “I can get you some sort of perfume and mask the tiny bit of smell you have,” she said. “Then you can just say that you’re a snake faunus. Snake faunus don’t really have any smell, and they don’t have ears or anything like that to distinguish them.”

“They do have scales on their upper chest areas though,” Ruby pointed out.

“I’m not going to ask how you know that,” Maia said, smirking. “But unless you’re going to be showing your chest to everyone, I don’t think anyone will check.”

Ruby clapped her hands together. “Oh! That reminds me, I need to find a way to contact Mark,” she exclaimed.

“Mark?” Maia asked. “Didn’t you mention something about him when you tried to break into my house the other night?”

“Uh, I didn’t mean to break into your house, sorry,” Ruby apologized. “And I saw Mark’s scales when he showed them to me.”

“Are you two a couple?” Maia asked bluntly.

“No!” Ruby exclaimed, blushing a bit. “Long story, we’re friends and I sort of saved his life.”

“Sounds interesting,” Maia said. “You’re going to have to tell me that story one day.”

“When we’re less busy,” Ruby promised. “So is there any way I could contact Mark?” she asked hopefully.

“I could check the records for you and tell you where he might living,” Maia said. “But the records aren’t updated after the initial entrance, so you’re best bet would be to go around the busiest parts of town and see if you bump into him.”

“Okay,” Ruby said, nodding. “So what about my hair and clothing?”

Maia waved her hand. “I can probably get you some clothing from the lost and found, or I can just go buy some. Better yet, I could give you some money and you could go buy some for yourself.”

She looked at Ruby’s hair, humming. “We can dye your hair,” she offered.

“Can’t you get a wig or something?” Ruby asked nervously, touching her hair.

Maia shook her head. “No wigs,” she said. “Who would make wigs in this small town? And your hair is too distinctive, so it’s got to go.” She stared at Ruby’s face, analyzing it. “Eyes too. Those eyes are way too recognizable. I can get you some contacts.”

“Ack,” Ruby cringed. “I’m beginning to regret my decision.”

Maia wasn’t stopping, however. “Do you want glasses too? I can get you some-“

“No, no, I’m good,” Ruby said, a little frightened. “I think a hair change and contacts should be enough, right?”

Maia let out a breath, a little disappointed. “Yes, I guess so,” she conceded. “Does anyone know what you look like?”

Ruby thought for a moment. “The Council and Vincent do, and so do the guards.”

“That’s fine,” Maia said, a relieved expression on her face. “The Council usually just stays at the village hall. They’re administrators, so they don’t venture out that often, except to go back to their faunus communities to sleep. The guards also have their own separate barracks, so between your disguise and their different living areas, you hopefully won’t get recognized.

“Anything else I need to do?” Ruby asked.

“Construct a believable backstory,” Maia responded. “Or just say that you don’t want to talk about it.”

“I’ve had tons of practice doing that,” Ruby muttered.

Maia raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.

“Should I just say that I live with you?”

“Yeah, just say that you recently moved in with me,” Maia answered. “Clothes, hair, eyes,” she counted off on her fingers. “We can discuss how we organize our schedule tomorrow.”

The sky was brightening, the sun nearly peeking above the horizon.

“Great,” Ruby said. “I need to get back now, in case someone comes looking for me.”

“Seeya,” Maia said, standing up and beginning to change out of her parka and snow pants. “Come back tomorrow afternoon, I’ll come home early.”

Ruby agreed and said her goodbyes, waving and exiting through the front door and jumping to the roof. Rappelling up the wall again, she heading back towards camp, hoping she could get there before sunrise.

* * *

 

**Note:**

**So something is wrong with Fanfiction’s document uploading, as everything seems to be in html. Don’t know what’s going on, but I’m just using word documents now, so forgive me if the formatting is a little weird.**

**As always, read and review :D**


	44. Disguised

The sun had just risen above the horizon as Ruby reached her camp in record time, having thrown herself from tree to tree without stopping and bypassing all of the snow.

Checking to make sure that the documents were still there, she breathed a sigh of relief and sat down, thinking. Her stomach was growling a little, she was out of meat and needed to go hunting again. However, she was tired from the long night and needed some rest. Spreading her cloak out onto the ground, she lay down and took a nap.

The sun was already high in the sky when she woke up a few hours later. It was nearly noon, and Ruby remembered how Maia had told her to come back in the afternoon.

Sitting up and stretching, she peeked out of the tent and looked around, seeing no sign of any messengers or visitors having come by when she was asleep.

Ruby grabbed the tarp from inside her tent, reusing the same tarp for every hunt. Picking a random direction deeper into the forest, she started running.

A few minutes later, she stopped, looking around her. Choosing a tall nearby tree, she ran up the trunk and swung herself up on a branch, pulling herself upwards until she reached the top of the tree.

The day was clear, with no sign of fog or snow. Ruby could see miles in every direction, the bare trees interlaced with groves of evergreens. She crouched there silently, waiting, thinking.

Could she trust Maia? Probably, considering her dedication to do good being shown by her documents and living location.

She would have to talk with Vincent the next time he came around and find a way to stop the morning visits. If she was going to help Maia and pretend to be a faunus, she couldn't be rushing back every time the sun came up.

 _The tablet!_  Ruby suddenly thought, mentally smacking herself.  _I could just have Vincent message me whenever something comes up, instead of having him send a messenger._  Ruby took out her tablet, making sure that it still worked, and took the opportunity to check how far she was from her campsite.

She was a few miles away, in a different location from her previous hunts, so she hoped that the deer would still be around here.  _I wonder if I could bait them_ , Ruby idly thought, fiddling with her scythe as she looked around.  _Maybe Maia can give me some vegetables or something_.

An hour later, Ruby caught sight of a black speck moving a few miles away. Unable to tell if it was an animal or a Grimm at this distance, Ruby tensed her muscles and leapt to the next treetop, slamming her scythe into the wood to stabilize herself as she landed on the bark.

Carefully moving in this way, unwilling to take a fall from such heights, Ruby slowly moved towards the black speck, the creature growing larger in her vision. She was unsure whether she was grateful or disappointed when she saw that it was just a normal black bear foraging for food in the snowy landscape.

She hadn't seen many of these before, but she supposed that the lack of Grimm in the area had allowed other animals to start coming out.

Ruby reached the tree closest to the bear, climbing down a bit into a crevice between two branches and setting down her scythe, slowly and silently sliding her blade into the wood.

The bear didn't notice as Ruby aimed carefully, steadying herself with the anchored scythe. Her shot was dead on, the bear's skull and brains exploding into fragments and a bloody red smear. Its body instantly dropped to the ground, twitching a little as the sound of the gunshot rang through the forest, startling some nearby birds.

Folding her scythe and dropping from branch to branch, Ruby made her way down the tree, hitting the ground and walking towards the corpse.

The body still warm, Ruby slurped some blood from its gaping neck wound and took a few bites to quell her hunger before she did anything else. The texture was thick and the meat tasted gamey, but Ruby made short work of the tough muscle as she ripped through it with her sharp teeth. Crunching on the neck bones, she took out her tarp and set it onto the ground, flipping the body onto it and wrapping it up. She bound the tarp to her back with strips of steelsilk, making sure it was tightly secured before beginning the run back to camp.

By the time she got back, it was nearly three hours past noon, Ruby having spent a lot of time stalking and hunting her prey. Extending her scythe again, she carefully made a cut down the bear's chest and stomach. Sticking her hand underneath the hot skin but above the muscle, she separated the two layers, delicately peeling back the hide.

As she worked, she wondered if it would be offensive if she wore the pelt around bear faunus.  _Shouldn't risk it,_ she decided, amused by the thought.

A few minutes later, the hide was stripped off, mostly in one piece. Ruby tied the skin between two tree limbs, letting it dry in the air as she cleaned her hands and forearms. The snow didn't do too good of a job, so she decided to ignore the bloodstains for now and chop up the meat instead.

The intestines were thrown away carefully, Ruby avoiding leakage, not willing to deal with the foul contents. She ate the kidneys and part of the liver, wrapping the rest of the organs up in a small piece of tarp and shoving it under the snow.

The rest of the meat was sliced at the joints and bundled up into the larger piece of the tarp, Ruby packing the inside with snow and storing it next to the organs.

Job finished, Ruby straightened her clothes and pulled out her tablet, checking the time. It was already past four, and the sun was beginning to set. Remembering her promise, Ruby pulled out the wrapped-up folder hidden underneath the snow and tied it to her shoulder.

She set off toward New Haven, scrubbing snow on her face as she tried to get the dried blood off. The snow didn't help much, the sharp flecks of ice only pricking her skin, so she gave up, instead raising her hood and pulling the bottom half closed, wrapping her cloak around herself.

Arriving in the clearing, she walked towards the river, waving to any guard tower she passed and hoping they had been habituated to her presence. None of them shouted or raised an alarm, so Ruby took that as a sign that the blood smearing her face and arms hadn't been noticed.

The river was covered in a thick layer of ice, a few blurry shapes swimming beneath the surface. Ruby looked curiously at the fish underneath, remembering the lack of variety in her diet. Rolling up what was left of her sleeves, she flared her aura and smashed her fist through the ice. Chunks flew everywhere, the surface of the river cracking, floes of ice tilting upwards.

The layer of ice was thicker than Ruby had expected, her knuckles fracturing as she punched through the surface. The fish were already gone by the time Ruby's hand entered the water, startled away by the impact.

Sighing, Ruby popped her dislocated finger joints back into place and instead washed her face and arms, getting the blood off. The water was freezing cold but Ruby didn't mind, taking a few gulps and rinsing out her mouth, cleaning the blood off of her teeth.

Her bloody knuckles had already begun to scab over as she walked toward the lacerations she had made in the wall, trying to look nonchalant as she passed the guard towers.

The sun was already low on the horizon, Ruby hoping that she wasn't late. She scampered up the wall quickly, her motions more like launching herself upwards instead of climbing, skipping handholds as she reached the top of the wall. In a practiced motion, she had her scythe anchored and steelsilk wrapped the handle in a matter of seconds, rappelling down the wall.

She landed on the roof of Maia's house, her boots announcing her presence as she pulled the scythe out of the wall and caught it. Collapsing her weapon and jumping off of the roof, she walked to the front door and knocked on the wood.

"Come in," came Maia's voice.

Ruby turned the handle and pushed the door open, stepping inside. Maia was lying on the couch, a blanket tucked around her. The fireplace was lit, a sense of warmth radiating throughout the room.

"Shut the door," Maia sleepily muttered. "You're letting the heat out."

Closing the door softly, Ruby walked into the room and sat down on the chair, turning herself around and straddling it as she watched Maia. Her brilliant blue hair streamed down the blankets, her eyes closed and face peaceful as she fell asleep again.

Moving closer, Ruby sat down on the rug in front of the fireplace and watched her sleep. She was content as she bathed in the glow of the fire, watching Maia's chest rise up and down with each breath.

A few minutes later, Maia woke herself up, her blinking eyes focusing on Ruby.

"That's a little creepy, Red," Maia said, yawning and sitting up.

Ruby smiled, baring her sharp white teeth as she lounged in front of the fireplace, her body feeling hot and luxurious.

"I like watching you sleep," Ruby purred.

"Okay then," Maia responded, keeping her blankets wrapped around herself and getting up. "I'm going to make some tea."

Ruby blinked, some sense returning to her. "That reminds me," she said, getting up. "Could I have some tea leaves? I've only been drinking water for the past few weeks and it's getting boring."  _Okay, water and blood,_  Ruby mentally amended.  _But she doesn't need to know that._

Maia rummaged around the cupboard, looking for the tin of dried leaves. "If I can find it," she said, pulling out packages of unused spices and setting them down in her search. "I don't usually eat at home, so I don't remember if I bought any."

"So, no milk?"

"How would I store milk without a refrigerator?"

The sky was beginning to dim as the sun started disappearing below the horizon. Ruby grabbed the lantern on the counter and flicked the switch, a yellow glow filling the room.

"Thanks," Maia said, flipping open another cupboard. "Ah, here it is."

Maia set the small tin of tea leaves onto the counter, then loaded the stove with wood.

"I usually stay at the office and work late," Maia explained as she lit the fire. "I just come home to sleep."

"Sorry about being late," Ruby apologized.

"Nah, I needed some rest anyways," Maia assured her, turning on the faucet and filling a small pot with water.

She set the pot on the stove and walked toward her desk, Ruby following her. "The water's going to take a while to boil, so I can show you some things I got first," Maia said, beginning to open up her messenger bag.

"Wait," Ruby said. "I have your documents."

She took it off of her shoulder, unwrapping it and handing it to Maia. Maia quickly flipped through the contents, checking to make sure nothing was damage or missing.

"Thank you," Maia said, looking up and smiling at her. "Thanks for keeping your promise."

"No problem," Ruby assured her, Maia's smile making her heart thump.

Maia set the documents down on the table and went back to the bag, pulling out a small clear case and setting a bottle down next to it. "Contact lenses," she said, pointing at the case. "The color of the contacts will completely disguise your light eye color."

"Uh, what color is it?" Ruby asked nervously.

"Blue," Maia said, grinning. "It's the best color, after all."

"Of course," Ruby said, chuckling.

Unscrewing the lid of the case, Maia carefully took out two contact lenses, showing Ruby how to put them on.

"Your eyes will water at first, but you'll get used to them pretty quickly," Maia said, holding up a bottle. "When you're done using them, just switch out the solution in the case with the stuff in this bottle and drop the contacts back in."

"Where do you even get this stuff?" Ruby asked, popping a lens into each eye. Her eyes started watering immediately, Ruby blinking rapidly as liquid dripped out of her eyes.

"Just some special stuff we can order," Maia said dismissively. "I'm not allowed to tell you much more, but sometimes we can get the government to send in airdrops of supplies. Besides, these are pretty popular amongst the younger crowd."

As Ruby adjusted to the contact lenses, Maia pulled out another canister with a brand label that Ruby didn't recognize.

"Temporary hair dye," Maia said, shaking the can. "This way you can keep your hair color since you like it so much, but now you'll also be able to disguise yourself."

"How easily does it come off?"

Maia popped the top off. "It's just a light shade of black, to hide the red parts of your hair. You'll be able to get it off by thoroughly rinsing your hair."

"Alright," Ruby said. "Can I spray it on?"

"Sure," Maia said, shrugging. "It's also a hair gel, so we can rearrange your hair while we're at it."

Ruby walked towards the bathroom, Maia bringing her messenger bag along.

"Nah, use my bedroom," Maia said. "There's a full-length mirror in there."

Maia's bedroom was also sparsely furnished, containing only a simple bed with a large mirror on the closet door. Ruby faced the mirror, looking at her reflection. Although she knew what her clothing looked like, she hadn't seen herself from this point of view in quite a while.

"Didn't know I looked that bad," Ruby said, wincing upon seeing her appearance.

Her raggedy dress was literally only scraps of cloth now, the only thing keeping her decent being the steelsilk wrap around her chest. She washed her clothes in boiled snow once every few days, but the bloodstains still remained, some barely visible on the black sections of the fabric. Her cloak was also a little tattered, having seen too much use recently. Her hair had gotten longer over the past few months, a little straighter now and not as messy as before.

"It's just the clothing," Maia reassured her. "Don't worry, I got you some clothes, and then you can go buy some yourself."

"I only have a little bit of money," Ruby realized, the master lien in her pouch unusable.

"Just borrow some of mine," Maia said. "It's not like I use it for much anyways. Pay me back whenever you can."

"Thanks," Ruby said, feeling a little bad.

Taking the bottle from Maia's hands, she gently sprayed her hair, resisting the urge to throw the canister away as she blackened the red strands. Remembering how her hair used to look, Ruby made it a little messy on purpose, trying to recreate what it used to look like.

"Not bad," Maia said, impressed by the overall effect. "Now we just need to add the clothes."

She took out a black long-sleeved sweater and a pair of jeans, along with plain white panties and a seamless white bra.

"Try these on," she said, offering Ruby the clothes. "I forgot to ask what size you were, so I just eyeballed it."

Maia turned away as Ruby unwrapped the steelsilk from her chest, unclipping her cloak and carefully taking off the remnants of her skirt and underclothes, wrapping them in the red fabric. Her boots and belt were placed on top of the pile. She slipped the underclothes on, then pulled the sweater over her head, sliding her arms through the sleeves. The jeans fit loosely, a little long, but Ruby just rolled the bottom of the jeans up.

"And now even I wouldn't be able to recognize you," Maia said happily. "This is pretty fun."

Ruby looked at herself in the mirror. Her silver eyes combined with the blue contacts made a sort of icy blue, a little startling on her pale face. Her hair was pure black and back to its original messy state, contrasting with her white skin. The sweater's collar went up to her neck, the long sleeves covering any scars or injuries Ruby had on her body. The jeans rounded out her overall appearance, the outfit giving her a calmer, more normal air.

"Yeah, you definitely look less crazy," Maia confirmed, nodding. "It helps when you aren't half-naked and covered in blood."

Ruby blushed a bit. "Can I still wear my boots?"

"Nope," Maia said, shaking her head. "Your looks right now don't exactly go with giant red and black combat boots."

She pulled out a more sensible pair of flat-soled black boots that went halfway up her calves. "Try them on," she offered. "See if they fit."

Ruby put them on, zipping them up in the back. "They're good," she said, experimentally walking around.

Her new clothing was a little uncomfortable, Ruby used to the freedom that her previous outfit, or lack thereof, had given her, the sweater a little scratchy and the jeans rubbing against her skin.

"Last thing," Maia said, pulling out a large canister. "This is a scent eliminator. Just spray this over your clothes and skin. I'm not sure if you'll need it, considering how small your scent is, but it's a good precaution."

Ruby nodded, spraying herself and spraying her clothes. "Anything else?" she asked, grabbing the bundle of her previous clothes.

"Nope," Maia said, leading the way back to the living room. "Get used to what you're wearing, and see if you can move around in that clothing. We'll just discuss plans for now."

Maia sat back down onto the sofa, shivering a little as she covered herself up again with the blanket. Ruby sat down beside her, enjoying the fireplace.

"Alright, so, first things first," Maia said, leaning back and closing her eyes. "Can you get here every day during the afternoon? I didn't think you were doing anything but I just wanted to make sure."

"I can come around noon, when I'm sure that Vincent won't be trying to find me," Ruby said. "And I'm going to talk to Vincent and see if I can somehow just have him message me on my tablet instead of sending a messenger."

"You have a tablet?" Maia said incredulously, opening her eyes. "You should have said so earlier."

Maia pulled her messenger bag back to her, taking out a tablet. Ruby traded messaging addresses with her, sending a test message.

"Hey, it worked," Ruby said, a little surprised as she remembered that the town wasn't connected to the global communications system.

"We have a local network in New Haven," Maia said. "It lets everyone communicate much more easily, and the police force also needs it to coordinate."

"That's so cool," Ruby said. "Do you know how far it goes?"

"The range is pretty huge," Maia said, "and I think it depends on how far your tablet can broadcast and receive, so you might be able to receive messages from Vincent."

"Awesome."

"So anyways, I'll message you if anything comes up, but otherwise the schedule is for you to get here sometime around 2PM, because that's when my shift ends. Usually I stay in the office afterwards to do some work, but I can just bring the stuff home and work on it from here. We haven't been that busy recently, anyways, not with the police force ignoring a lot of the crimes that have been going on."

"I might be going on a hunting trip with Vincent," Ruby said. "I'll message you if I can't make it on time."

"Alright, that sounds good. Since you're already all dressed up, we might as well go out tonight," Maia said, yawning. "But let me take a nap first."

"What about dinner?" Ruby asked, her stomach a little growly.

"We'll eat in town," Maia mumbled. "Now let me sleep. Go steep the tea, before the water cools down."

Ruby dutifully walked to the kitchen, putting a few pinches of leaves into the boiling pot of water and covering the pot with a lid. When she got back to the living room, Maia was spread out on the couch again, sound asleep, so Ruby just resumed her position on the rug, waiting for her to wake up.

* * *

**Note:**

**Sorry this is a really late upload, but I took a nap in the afternoon cause I was like dead. Hopefully my schedule was quicken once Thanksgiving rolls around**

**By Maia's shift, I mean her patrolling time, but it's called a shift and Ruby knows that, so it would be awkward to explain it in there. I mean, you could guess by context, but it's just her turn to patrol the town. Maia's shift is in the morning, from 7am to 2pm.**

**Read, review, rate, comment, PM me, etc. This was mostly a dialogue chapter, but I had to set some things up and answer a few questions ;)**


	45. Disguised Pt 2

Nearly two hours had passed. Ruby was sitting on the rug, starving, wondering how Maia's rabbit flesh would taste. No one would know if Ruby just slaughtered her right now. Ruby could take the body with her back to camp, eat every little scrap…

And then Maia began to stir, her breathing pattern changing.

Ruby snapped out of it, bringing herself back to her senses and wiping the trickle of saliva of off her chin. She got up and walked to the kitchen, looking for a cup. Pulling a chipped mug out of one of the cabinets, she poured some of the cold tea and took a gulp, trying to clear her mind.

Ruby was sitting at the table and drinking the cold liquid when Maia woke up.

"What time is it?" Maia asked groggily.

Ruby checked the clock on the wall. "It's nearly eight."

"Should have woken me up earlier," Maia said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Aren't you hungry?"

"I'm fine," Ruby lied, ignoring her rumbling stomach. "You seemed really tired, so I just let you sleep."

Maia pulled her blanket off of herself, getting up. "Thanks, but that's still creepy," she said. "Let me change, and then we'll go."

She was still wearing her police uniform underneath the blankets, and Ruby tried not to stare at her behind as Maia walked toward her bedroom.

A few minutes later, they were ready to go, Maia having switched into a more casual set of dress shirt and dress pants, still maintaining a business-like appearance. She had her hair let down, and she switched from police boots to a pair of black flats. Realizing that it was cold outside, Maia slipped on a green parka, buttoning it up.

"Can I just leave my weapons and clothes here?" Ruby asked worriedly. "Will they be safe?"

"Should be," Maia said. "If you want, I can lock them up in the basement lockbox."

Ruby picked up her bundle. "That would be great," she said, relieved.

The two went down to the basement, where Maia slid open one of the cabinets on the walls. Pulling out a key ring, she unlocked the safe, the hinges squeaking open.

"I don't have anything valuable in there," Maia said, taking the key off of the ring. "So here's the key."

"Thanks," Ruby said gratefully, sliding the key into her pocket.

She slid her bundled-up scythe inside, the safe barely fitting the dimensions of her weapon wrapped in her cloak.

"Alright, so we're first going to go get dinner," Maia said, pulling out a wallet and checking its contents before slipping it back into her pocket. "And then we're going to a bar."

"Uh, I don't know if I can drink," Ruby said uncertainly, following her up the stairs.

"What do you mean?" Maia asked, opening the front door.

Ruby followed her outside, hands nervously stroking her hair. "I'm not of legal age yet," she explained.

Maia closed the door, locking it. "Don't you kids drink all the time?"

"Well, I don't," Ruby protested. "Can't I just ask for a glass of milk or something?"

Maia sighed. "Well, shit," she muttered. "Maybe I'll just tell them you're allergic to alcohol."

"Them?" Ruby asked, walking alongside her.

They were nearing the border of the small, empty neighborhood, the center of town off in the distance. A single road led to it, the snow-cleared path sprinkled with lampposts the only thing breaking the monotony of the cleared space between the two areas.

"I've been trying to get closer to the other members of the police force," Maia said, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "I'm not trying to get into their pants," Maia said quickly, seeing the look on Ruby's face. "I'm just trying to get information directly from them."

"Why are you trying this method now?" Ruby asked.

Maia looked up into the clear night sky, the dim light from the lampposts illuminating her face. "It's a sort of last-ditch effort, really. I haven't been making any progress recently and I haven't been able to find any new evidence. I have to patrol for nearly half of the day, and then I go back to the office, where they try to pile busywork on me to make it seem like the police department is actually doing something."

"So you don't have enough time?"

"Not only that, but the perpetrators seem to be hiding really well, and I can't be everywhere at once. Right now I'm investigating one of the more recent cases of burglary that the investigators have dropped, but I'm getting nowhere."

"Can I help in any way?"

"That's why we're going to one of the bars frequented by a lot of police officers. If we can get them to trust us and believe that we're on their side, then we could easily prevent the next crime and gather evidence that even the Council can't ignore."

"So why the Council won't do anything right now? Surely they can't just be ignoring all of those crimes?"

"They're too wrapped up in their own affairs, in their own communities, and they won't bother helping as long as no one dies. If you've met the council, you'll have seen that it's made up of three carnivores: a lynx, a wolf, and a bear. And don't forget, the Leader is a lion. Those faunus won't lift a finger to help the herbivore communities. The bison are proud and headstrong and unwilling to care for much outside of their own clan, and hares are notoriously solitary and scheming."

"Nobody has died?" Ruby asked, curious. "How is that possible?"

"It's been mostly burglary and assault," Maia said angrily. "They know they can't risk angering the council members, so they're just being careful enough not to kill anyone."

"Oh," was all Ruby could say.

They walked in silence for a while, approaching the border of the town.

Ruby spoke first. "So what's the plan?"

"Like I said, this is a desperate attempt to actually find something, so…"

"You don't have a plan," Ruby finished. "That's cool, that means we're not restricted by anything."

"Uh huh," Maia said, unconvinced. "Let's get dinner first, and then we can brainstorm after we eat something."

They entered the outskirts of the town, seeing a few people walking down the street, the suburbs filled with low buildings. The taller buildings were in the middle of town, where most of the people were. Streetlamps were spaced throughout the streets, lighting up the road and letting the two read the signs on the buildings.

"Where are all the cars?" Ruby asked, noticing how empty the roads were.

"We don't have many vehicles in this town because we don't have any need for them," Maia said, leading her down one of the alleys. "The only things we have are large trucks to transport materials. Otherwise, we just walk everywhere and run if we're in a hurry."

Maia stopped at one of the lit shops, a sign on the front window proclaiming it as the  _Herbivore Eatery_. Ruby noted how most of the patrons seemed to be, as the sign said, herbivores, with nary a carnivore in sight.

The shop was small but well-lit and warm, rounds tables in the center of the room with booths at the sides of the room. Maia chose a table in one of the corners that had two chairs, beckoning a waiter over.

"Can you handle spicy foods?" Maia asked, shrugging off her parka.

"As long as it's not anything crazy, I should be fine," Ruby responded.

"Two spicy noodles and two barley teas," Maia ordered.

The waiter nodded, scribbling on a pad, and walked through a door in the back and into the kitchen.

"What's with the whole 'herbivore' thing?" Ruby wondered. "And do you guys only drink tea or something?"

"Red, this is a growing settlement, and food supplies are relatively limited," Maia explained. "The main staple here is noodles and other wheat products, along with a variety of vegetables for the herbivores. The carnivores have their own restaurants and food sources."

"Does this relate to what you said about the council being carnivores?"

Maia nodded. "This settlement has some issues. One is that due to the unprocessed nature of the foods here, you'll see huge divides between the communities. A lot of faunus eat mostly vegetables, including the more omnivorous ones, and then you have the other half of carnivores that eat meat products. They have their own slaughterhouses in one area of New Haven, and none of the herbivorous faunus will go close to that area."

"You sure know a lot," Ruby said, surprised at the depth of knowledge Maia possessed.

Maia scoffed. "I'm a police officer, it's my job to know this town."

The noodles arrived quickly, two large steaming bowls being placed in front of them, along with two cups of tea. Vegetables and mushrooms filled the bowl, and the soup gave off a savory smell. Ruby preferred meat herself, but she was ravenous right now and anything would do.

"Can that problem be fixed?" Ruby asked, shoveling noodles into her mouth.

Maia swallowed before speaking. "Not until we get more people and this settlement grows larger. We can't deny the carnivores the right to their food, and the herbivore population is not large enough to start raising a meaningful protest. The criminals can just keep suppressing the outcries of all the people they terrorize, and the herbivores can't do anything."

Ruby realized what she was implying. "So you're saying that the perpetrators are the carnivorous faunus," she whispered, wide-eyed.

Maia nodded. "Even the police force is ninety-percent carnivores," she said. "They're the naturally aggressive ones, and while in society they might be the perfect police officers, in New Haven they are unrestrained and a danger to the population."

"So how can you get them to trust you if you're a rabbit faunus?"

"They respect me," Maia grinned, flaring her aura to demonstrate what she was saying. "Even here, aura-users are rare, and they know I'll be able to take down most of them in a one on one fight. It took me a few days to settle some things when I first arrived here."

Ruby nodded, slurping her noodles.

"Stop that," Maia frowned, lightly smacking her hand. "That's not polite."

Ruby wiped her mouth with a napkin, making an effort to eat more silently. The food was delicious, despite being vegetarian, and Ruby savored every last drop of soup as she finished the bowl.

Maia was already finished, taking out her wallet and setting down a few lien.

"Wait, we don't have a plan yet," Ruby said, trying out the barley tea and making a face.

Maia downed her tea in one gulp, standing up. "We can talk on the way," she said, pulling her chair aside and putting her parka back on.

Ruby followed her outside, the cool night air brushing against her skin.

"So this issue isn't just about the crimes, right?"

Maia nodded. "The reason that these criminals can just do whatever they want is because this settlement isn't developed enough yet, the police force is corrupt, and because there's too much of an herbivore and carnivore divide between the victim faunus and the criminal faunus."

They streets grew more populated as they neared the center of the town, a lot of people roaming the streets in groups and talking, many of them making their way down to one of the bars ahead of the two.

Maia stopped, turning to face Ruby. "Ok, so the plan is for me to introduce you as a friend who's just recently stopped being a loner and is living at my place, alright?"

"That's actually pretty accurate," Ruby noted.

Maia ignored her. "Don't hurt anyone, don't make anyone suspicious, and don't talk too much. And don't ask them random questions."

"Gotcha," Ruby said, a little nervous.

"Don't suck up to them, but answer anything that won't reveal much," Maia added, taking off her parka and pushing open the door.

The establishment was large and filled with faunus. A wooden countertop ran the length of it, shelves of alcohol displayed in the back, and small tables and chairs were scattered throughout the room. Groups of people were in the back playing cards or dice, a few slapping down lien and betting. Servers bustled throughout the room, cleaning tables and grabbing empty glasses.

The room smelled odd, a mixture of clashing scents, and Ruby noticed that the groups of people seemed to be mostly divided by their carnivore or herbivore statuses, neither of the groups interacting with each other. A team of bartenders were rapidly mixing drinks for the customers sitting at the wooden countertop, and a display on the wall played some sort of movie that no one was paying attention to.

The faunus were dressed in a mixture of things, a few still in their work clothes, some wearing hoodies, while others were neatly dressed in suits and ties.

Maia made a beeline for a cat faunus sitting at the bar. He was wearing a t-shirt and jeans that displayed his prominent muscles, a casual pair of running shoes on his feet. He had yellow eyes, his pupils a tiny dot in his irises. He had short, jet-black hair and similarly black triangular ears, with predatory features that even Ruby could notice.

"Jaguar," Maia whispered as they approached him. "He's an officer."

He looked up as they approached, a bored expression on his face as he downed another shot. His nose twitched a little as they arrived, his eyes suddenly staring at them.

And then his arms were wrapped around Ruby, his body pressed into hers, Ruby's head at his chest. He was like a furnace, his body hard and hot. Ruby was taken by surprise but stilled her arms, remembering what Maia had said.

His mouth pressed against her ear, his lips burning her skin.

"I can smell the blood," he whispered throatily.

Ruby froze, her blood turning cold despite the heat.

"Emmett, get off of her," Maia growled. "She's a friend."

He held onto her for a few more seconds before releasing her, stepping back. "You don't have a smell," he said curiously, sitting back down. "What's your name?"

Maia had an  _oh crap_  expression on her face as she realized what she had forgotten to tell Ruby. "Uh, Rose," Ruby stammered.

"Ah, so you're a reptile of some sort," he nodded, understanding her lack of scent.

"Where are Cedric and Keith?" Maia asked, sitting down on one of the stools and ordering a drink.

Ruby followed her lead, sitting down next to her and away from Emmett.

"Oh, they're busy tonight," Emmett said, grinning. "Lots of work to do."

Ruby barely listened to their conversation as she thought about what Emmett had said. Surely he didn't know who she was. He said that he recognized her as a reptile faunus, but what if he was lying?

Ruby was broken out of her reverie by the mention of her name.

"So who's the new girl?" Emmett asked. "Rose doesn't seem to talk much."

Maia paused, taking in the new turn of the conversation. "She used to be a loner," Maia explained. "And then she got lonely, so she's living with me now. I thought I'd take her out, show her around town."

Ruby wanted to flee as Emmett watched her, noting down her features. "Do you mind if I have a chat with her? A private chat, of course."

Maia eyed him warily, taking a sip of her drink. "It's Rose's decision," she said finally, watching for Ruby's reaction.

Ruby realized that this was an opportunity to do something. "Um, okay," she said hesitantly.

"Great," Emmett grinned, baring his fangs. "We can go to that corner."

He firmly took her forearm and pulled her behind him, Maia watching them the whole way. They sat down at an empty table, away from the groups of rowdy faunus.

They sat in silence for a while, Emmett staring at her while Ruby tried to not look at him.

"It was faint, but I could smell the blood on you," he said suddenly. "Who did you kill?"

Ruby felt a little faint, her ears ringing, as her mind started backtracking into the past.

And then she remembered that she had butchered the bear that afternoon, and blood had gotten onto her face and apparently her hair. It seemed that he had a stronger sense of smell than Maia. But she couldn't tell him that.

"No one," Ruby responded after a few seconds. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Emmett shook his head, laughing silently. "That's fine," he said. "I don't need to know. But I've seen how you look at Maia. She's a big girl and I know she can take care of herself, but you're eyeing her like she's a prime steak."

Ruby blinked, wondering if she had been that obvious. She made a mental note to stop staring so much. "I'm just her friend," Ruby protested.

"Of course," Emmett agreed amiably. "But I just wanted to tell you that you could have some fun in another way." He leaned in closer, his voice lowering. "Do you want to cause a little mayhem and hurt some people? Do you want to toy with those grass-eating prey faunus? Doesn't it get boring, cooped up in this tiny little town? Haven't you ever felt a need to hunt, to chase?"

He was bombarding her with questions, his words exactly echoing Ruby's suppressed thoughts.

Emmett leaned back, smiling. "I can see that you're quite happy with that idea."

Ruby tried to still her emotions, but her head was filled with visions of bloodlust and gore, her hands trembling as they clutched the table, leaving behind imprints of her fingers.

"We can do that?" Ruby asked.

Emmett chuckled at her use of the word "we", knowing that she was already lumping herself in with the predators. "Yeah," he said, standing up. "Meet me here again tomorrow night, and you'll see what we can offer you."

He walked back to Maia, leaving Ruby behind as she sat at the table and tried to settle her arousal. It took a while before Ruby could control herself and make it back to the bar, sitting down and taking deep breaths, Maia looked worriedly at her.

"We should go," Maia said, finishing her drink. "It's been a long day for both of us, and we need to get our rest."

Emmett nodded. "See you tomorrow," he said, staring pointedly at Ruby.

Maia waved a goodbye and herded Ruby out of the bar, beginning their walk home.

Neither of them spoke as they walked, Ruby letting the cold temperatures still her quivering body. Maia was clearly bursting with questions, but she recognized Ruby's agitated state and let her calm down.

* * *

The fireplace was roaring, both of them sitting on the sofa, when Maia finally spoke up.

"I didn't get any information from him," Maia said, sighing. "Some hints and clues about what he was going to do next, but nothing that I could use. So, what did he talk about with you?"

Ruby took a few moments to respond. "He gave me an offer," Ruby said quietly.

Maia's jaw dropped. "That's amazing," she exclaimed, looking at Ruby. "If you're in with them, you could tell me where they're going and what they're going to do. I could gather tons of evidence, and if you get their trust, you could find out where they've been keeping the stuff they've stolen!"

Ruby looked up. "Really?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yes!" Maia said excitedly. "This could change everything. You should join them, Red."

Ruby wanted to protest, to say that she would have to commit those crimes if she wanted them to trust her. But she didn't want to ruin Maia's happiness, and she didn't want to acknowledge the other reason.

"Okay," Ruby said. "But I'm not joining them because I want to do bad things, it's because I'm trying to help you, alright?"

Maia nodded. "I understand," she said. "Thank you."

As Maia began to animatedly draw up plans and talk about what Ruby could do, Ruby wondered if she really had accepted just to help Maia.

* * *

**Note:**

**Happy Thanksgiving! That was this chapter, read and review! :3**

**Dialogue was a little long, but Maia knows her shit and can explain the predator-prey dynamics in New Haven pretty well. If you have any questions, you should ask, because I might not have fully explained everything, because I'm limited by dialogue.**

**Sorry about sort of skipping a day, I fell asleep on my desk before finishing this chapter T_T**


	46. Disguised Pt 3

"I'll get you a microphone, or you can just send me information about their movements from your tablet," Maia said, pacing. "I can try to follow you guys from the rooftops or I can get there beforehand and set up cameras."

Ruby didn't really have anything to contribute, so she just nodded.

"The main problem is how convincing you can be," Mai said, turning and looking at her. "You don't seem to be that bad of a person, so I'm wondering how you can get them to trust you."

"What should I do?" Ruby asked. "Or, better said, what  _can_  I do? Should I participate? Can I break any laws?"

Maia paused, considering her options. "You'll probably have to commit some crimes," Maia said hesitantly. "If you want to seem credible, you're going to need to prove yourself."

"That won't be a problem," Ruby said, trying not to sound too eager.

"Undercover cops are usually held to a guideline of what crimes they can or cannot commit," Maia explained. "They usually can participate in transferring narcotics and other small-scale crimes, but they aren't allowed to commit murder or participate in an assault."

"Oh," Ruby said, hiding her disappointment.

"But you're not a cop, Red," Maia continued. "I might get into trouble for saying this, but do whatever it takes to keep yourself alive. If you have to do something to avoid blowing your cover, then do it."

Ruby was stunned, surprised at the advice that Maia was giving her. "W-wait, aren't you a police officer? Shouldn't you be telling me to follow the law no matter what?"

Maia sighed, leaning back on the couch and rubbing her eyes. "Red, I can't bear to have another death on my conscience. And for some odd reason, despite everything I've heard about you, I sort of like you, no matter how annoying you are sometimes."

Ruby leaned forward, an eager expression on her face. "Really? Cause I like you t-"

Maia gently pushed her back. "As a person, Red. I like you as a person. Stop being creepy again."

"Aww," Ruby whined, crestfallen.

Maia looked at the clock. "Ugh, it's getting late," she said. "Take a shower and change back into your old clothes before you leave. I really need to get some sleep this time."

Ruby didn't want to depart from her new life, but she recognized the importance of keeping her up her ruse. "Okay," she said, standing up. "Should I just leave the contacts and the clothes here?"

"Yeah," Maia responded, lying down and taking the space Ruby had just occupied. "I'll sort them out," she yawned. "If I'm not tired we can go on a shopping trip for some extra clothes tomorrow. I'll message you when I get home."

Ruby nodded. "I'll go take the shower now," she said, walking towards the bathroom.

Maia didn't respond, having fallen asleep already.

Ruby stripped off her clothes and neatly placed them into a pile, stacking them beside Maia's bed. Peeking into the living room and making sure that Maia was still asleep, she dove into the blankets, rolling around and clutching it, breathing in Maia's scent.

A few minutes later, she stopped, panting, realizing what she was doing and blushing a little. Reluctantly getting off of the bed, she smoothed out the blankets and placed her clothes them, hoping that Maia wouldn't realize what she had done.

The contact lenses were still on the living room table, so she crept out and grabbed them, careful not to wake Maia. She carefully took out her lenses and placed them into the case after swapping out the fluid inside.

Placing the case on the sink and turning the shower on, Ruby went to the hallway and rummaged through the cabinet for a towel, finding only soft white fluffy ones and hoping that Maia wouldn't mind.

The shower was steaming hot when she stepped in. Using the bar on soap on the side, she lathered her hair, black dye dripping out as she soaked her head. After she washed all of the soap away, she stepped out of the shower, wiping down the mirror and checking her hair. True to her word, the dye had mostly washed away, the red of her hair visible again.

Stepping back into the shower and washing a few more times, she savored the sensation of the warm water for a couple more minutes before turning it off. Toweling herself dry, she checked again to make sure her hair was clean before wrapping the towel around herself and going back to Maia's bedroom.

Ruby rummaged around her jean pockets until she found the key to the safe. She carefully made her way down the basement, the wooden stairs cold beneath her bare feet. Feeling for the cabinet in the wall, she slid it open and unlocked the safe, pulling her bundle of belongings out.

After shutting the door to the safe and placing the key in her pouch, she walked back upstairs, unfolding her cloak. She changed in Maia's bedroom, slipping the scraps of her dress around herself and replacing the steelsilk wraps. The cloak went around her shoulders, the crosses clipping it into place, and she stomped the boots back onto her feet. The belt went around her waist, her weapon clipping onto the back.

Once she was fully dressed, a feeling of wholeness clashed with spikes of loneliness and sadness, making Ruby check on Maia again before heading out. Maia was breathing slowly, deep asleep, so Ruby tucked the blanket more snugly around her, resisting the urge to do anything else.

Taking one last glance at the sleeping rabbit, she exited through the window, leaving the front door locked.

The moon barely illuminated the wall as Ruby scaled it with her scythe, rappelling up and jumping off of the other side. Slamming into the crunchy snow, she retraced her steps and ran back towards her camp, wondering if her beowolves were okay.

Six large furry shapes appeared the moment Ruby got near her campsite, running up and brushing against her to check that she was there. Ruby reassured them with soft words, assessing their condition and making sure that they were getting enough food. They seemed healthy, the hunting having been good in these mild weather conditions.

Ruby had already eaten dinner and it was late, so she just lay down in her tent and set the cloak on the ground, wrapping herself up and going to sleep.

* * *

 

Ruby woke up early the next morning, the sun still low in the sky as she left her tent. Wondering if Vincent would contact her today, she carved a few sticks and set up the cooking stand. She dragged the bear steaks out of the snow, slicing them into chunks, and speared them onto the makeshift skewers.

While she let them heat up, she checked on the bear skin she had hung from the tree branches. The skin was mostly dry now, a tough leather, and Ruby wondered what she could do with it. Taking a little bit of fat from the bear meat she had, she smeared the leather with it and rolled it up, hoping that the oils in the fat would keep the leather from getting brittle and cracking. Using another sheet of tarp, she covered the entire roll and placed it in her tent, protecting it from the elements.

The frozen bear meat had thawed now, so Ruby took some chunks and wolfed them down, eating them for breakfast. She let the rest continue to cook, wondering how bear jerky would taste.

Ruby spent the rest of the morning wandering around the woods and collecting more firewood, waiting until it was nearly noon to make sure that Vincent's messengers weren't going to come.

Bored out of her mind and realizing she had nothing to do for the rest of the day, Ruby made her way back to New Haven, walking through the forest and into the clearing, watching out for the guards on the walls.

Seeing that her spot had remained undetected, Ruby scaled the handholds on the wall, climbing up and rappelling down the other side in broad daylight, grateful that Maia's neighborhood was empty.

Maia had already left for work, so Ruby flipped the shutters open and crawled in through the kitchen window. Her clothes were still left on the bed, Maia apparently having slept on the couch the entire night, so Ruby changed into them.

Taking off her current clothes, she switched into the sweater and jeans. The tablet wouldn't fit into the pocket of her jeans, so she took it out and sent a message to Maia, saying that Vincent hadn't come, before placing it back into her pouch. She stored the bundle of her dress and cloak into the basement safe, locking it with the key in the pouch and putting the key into the pocket of her jeans.

The canister of dye was still in Maia's bedroom, so she applied it in the mirror again, careful to get all of the red parts of her hair. Going to the bathroom, she washed her hands and put on the contacts, fitting them snugly into place and mussing up her hair again. The blue contacts were less irritating this time, Ruby quickly growing used to them.

She left through the window again, closing the shutters behind her. Ruby had no real destination, so she walked toward the center of town, wondering if she would be able to find the police station.

The sun was shining brightly overhead as Ruby walked down the lonely path. She looked around her, trying to make out the details of the other towns, but they were all too far away. Her sweater was beginning to grow a little too warm, but she kept it on, realizing that she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

The outskirts of the town was mostly empty, one or two people scurrying around busily, but most people were off at work. No one looked at her as she walked down the streets, apparently just another faunus.

As she walked towards the center of town, more signs of life appeared. More people were on the streets, and Ruby saw a few construction projects taking place, new buildings being erected by builder faunus.

Ruby wanted to buy some clothes, but she realized that she didn't have enough money. Wandering around, she looked at the shops, checking out the signs and seeing what there was to buy. There were a few shops selling various clothing, shoes, and fabrics, and there were also shops selling food products of meats and vegetables. Ruby suspected that most people were off in their own communities, tending to their vegetable plots or taking care of their farm animals.

As she walked, more people started appearing, faunus streaming in to meet up and eat lunch in the city. A few delivery trucks rumbled by, delivering supplies to the shops.

Ruby didn't want to just wander around all day, so she stopped and sat down on a bench, thinking. She disliked relying on Maia, and she wanted to keep up her identity in the faunus town. Vincent was an issue, but for now she could just sneak into town after waiting in the morning. The main problem was money, and Ruby couldn't do anything if she didn't have any money.

Standing up, she looked around at the groups of faunus, beginning to follow them. She tried not to look too obvious as she followed the faunus around, eventually being led to the area with clusters of restaurants.

Breaking off from the group, she walked down the street, looking for any "Help Wanted" signs or things of that nature. After walking past a few shops, she stopped at an herbivore restaurant, a simple sign advertising a need for employees at the door.

Ruby figured that since she didn't really have any skills in cooking or making things, she might be able to do something simple, like manning a cashier.

Walking up to one of the waiters, Ruby asked if he knew how she might be able to apply for the job position.

The waiter glanced at her, scoffing, his round ears twitching. "You're not welcome here," he said, pointedly sniffing at her. "You wouldn't get the job even if you applied,  _carnivore_."

Ruby frowned. "What? What do you mean?"

"You eat flesh," the waiter said, tapping his foot impatiently. "Does this look like a carnivore establishment to you?" he asked, pointing at the sign in the front.

"I just wanted to know if I could apply for a cashier position or something like that," Ruby said, surprised by his attitude.

The manager came over, having noticed the disturbance. He started asking what was wrong, but his face suddenly stilled, an impassive expression taking over his face as he realized what Ruby was.

"Please leave," he said coldly. "We don't serve your kind around here."

Ruby nodded, turning around and quickly leaving the restaurant.

As she walked down the street, she reflected on what had just happened. It seemed that things were just as bad as Maia had said. Ruby couldn't really blame them for discriminating against the carnivores, considering what was going on in the town, and she wasn't really that offended, as she wasn't really a faunus anyways.

Just to make sure, she tried her luck at the next two restaurants, both of them herbivore establishments. Both of them rejected her before she could even ask, her scent or rather the lack thereof giving her away.

By this time, most of the faunus were already heading out again, their lunch breaks over. Ruby wanted to ask someone for directions, but she didn't see any police officers on the streets, and she didn't really know any of the faunus.

After wandering around for a while, she found a carnivore shop, the red labeling on the window proclaiming it to be "meat-eaters only". Pushing open the door, Ruby stepped inside and looked around, seeing that most of the customers were already gone. A lone faunus was at a table, wiping it down.

The little faunus had red fox ears and bright red hair, and Ruby couldn't decide whether it was male or female as she watched it from behind. The fox wore busser uniform, dressed neatly in a white shirt and black pants, an apron draped across its front. It was busily cleaning the table with a rag, wiping the wooden surface until it was gleaming and then loading the dishes onto a small cart.

Ruby cleared her throat. "Uh, excuse me?" she said. "Are you guys hiring?"

The fox faunus turned around, and Ruby's breath caught in her throat. Ruby still couldn't tell what gender it was, but she was captivated by its large green eyes and delicate facial features, an innocent expression on its face.

"Ohmygod you are so cute!" Ruby squealed, dashing forward and wrapping her arms around the little fox.

The faunus dropped its plate, surprised. "Umm," it said nervously, even its voice gender-neutral.

Ruby nuzzled it for a few more seconds, deciding that the fox was probably a male by his lack of a chest. She breathed in his soft scent, rubbing her nose against his colorful hair. He started blushing as he realized that Ruby's chest was pressed against him.

Ruby realized what she was doing and backed off, an embarrassed expression on her face. "Sorry about that," she apologized.

"T-that's fine," he mumbled, looking down. "Did you say something about wanting a job?"

Ruby's fingers itched to touch him, so she put twined her hands together behind her. "Are you guys hiring?"

"Yeah," he said, looking up again, interested. "I'll go get the manager. What's your name?"

"Rose," Ruby responded.

"I'm Rowan," he said, smiling for the first time. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Ruby smiled back, glad he was warming up to her.

"I'll be right back," he promised, heading towards a door in the back.

Rowan came back in a few seconds with his manager, a middle-aged wolf faunus, his hair streaked with gray and his face lined with creases. He wore an oil-stained chef's uniform, a towel between his hands as he wiped his fingers off.

"I'm Mingan," he said, holding out his hand. "You here for a job?"

Ruby took his hand, shaking it. "Yes sir," she said. "You don't need to pay me much, I just need something to do."

Mingan let out a deep laugh, surprising Ruby. "That's not something I usually hear from teenagers, and especially not from reptile faunus," he said mirthfully. "What can you do?"

"Not a lot," Ruby admitted. "But I can do whatever the others don't want to do."

Mingan scratched his ears, thinking. "We're actually short on workers right now, because no one wants to take the menial tasks," he said. "Some of us are just too damn proud for our own good. Would you be willing to do some of the less desirable work around here?"

"Like what?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Rowan here can't really handle all of the cleaning jobs by himself," he said, amid the fox's protests, "And our dishwasher just quit a few days ago, citing something about better job opportunities. Would you be willing to do some general cleaning and switch off on doing the dishes with Rowan? You'll need to be here by ten in the morning, and you'll need to stay until seven."

"Sounds great," Ruby said, making a mental note to tell Maia about the mysterious job departure. "When can I get started?"

"Right now," Mingan said, heading into the kitchen and motioning for her to follow.

The wolf faunus pushed the door open, Ruby right behind him. She looked around the moderately-sized kitchen. A set of stovetops and grills were in the middle of the room, counters for food preparation lined up against the three sides of the walls. They were made out of a mixture of metal and stone, the stovetops gleaming steel while the countertops were a brown granite. The smell of roasted meat permeated the room, animal flesh clearly the main course being served in this restaurant.

Mingan pulled out an apron, tossing it to Ruby. Ruby had to wrap strings multiple times around her waist before it stopped slipping down, the apron clearly made for someone a few sizes larger than her.

The sink full of plates was set in the center of the one of the counters, and Ruby walked over to it, careful not to trip on the long apron. Remembering the countless chores that Yang had pushed onto her, Ruby began cleaning the dishes, filling the sink with hot water and starting on the silverware, trying to scrub the nostalgic thoughts out of her mind.

Rowan went back to get more dishes while Mingan supervised her for a few minutes, nodding with approval after a while and leaving her alone.

"So where are the other employees?" Ruby asked, helping Rowan move the dishes from the cart to the sink.

"They're probably out getting a drink or something," Rowan said. "We don't have many customers in the afternoon, so Mingan lets them have the afternoons off on slow days like today."

"So Mingan is the chef and the manager?" Ruby asked.

Rowan nodded. "He's really good at cooking, and he could probably run the place by himself if he wanted to," Rowan said. "But, you know, with the government encouraging more hiring and everything, I think he feels a need to do something."

Ruby nodded, pretending she knew what he was talking about. They finished loading the dishes into the sink, the two of them making quick work of the pile.

"Talk to you later, Rose," Rowan said, heading back towards the door. "I have to go clean up while we don't have any customers."

"No problem," Ruby said, staring at him as she watched him leave. "No problem at all," she muttered, going back to washing the dishes, daydreaming about how Rowan's flesh would taste.

* * *

 

**Note:**

**Blah blah blahhhh**

**Sorry about late update, family managed to have like three thanksgiving parties, so I couldn't get much done. Sorry if these chapters move along a little slowly, I like the place I'm at currently and I want to talk about it more :D**


	47. Disguised Pt 4

Ruby finished cleaning the last dish, stacking it on the rack and toweling her hands. She walked back to the main room, where Rowan was still sweeping the floor, all the tabletops now shiny and pristine.

She simply watched him for a few minutes, straddling a chair and admiring him as he obliviously cleaned. Sweeping the pile into a dustpan, he turned around and nearly dropped it, surprised by Ruby's intent stare.

"Don't mind me," Ruby said dismissively. "Just keep doing what you have to do."

"It's nice to have someone to talk to," Rowan said, recovering from his shock and emptying the dustpan into the trashcan. "I don't really see a lot of people my age around here, and the fox community doesn't really have a lot of children. Although, I supposed that's true for all the communities."

Ruby was interested, reminding herself to ask Maia about that too. "So where did you come from? I mean, what did you do before you came here?"

"My parents were farmers," Rowan said, sitting down in a chair next to Ruby. "We moved here to continue farming, although we mostly raise livestock now."

"Why are you working here then?"

"Do I look like I can work on a farm?"

Ruby looked at the small fox faunus, his feminine frame making him seem elegant and fragile. "Not really," Ruby admitted.

Rowan let out a sigh. "Exactly. I think my parents realized even before I did, so they encouraged me to do something with myself and get a job in this city."

"What about your education?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Rose, my parents are farmers," Rowan said, smiling. "I went to middle school and they thought that was enough. Besides, then we relocated here for the government benefits, and because my parents wanted to help make a change for the faunus race."

"I see," Ruby said. "Have you been working here for long?"

Rowan shook his head. "I just started about a week ago, around the time that the previous busboy quit. Mingan was nice enough to give me a job, so now I'm here. What about you?"

Ruby paused for a second, trying to think of something. "Well, uh, my parents are dead," she said semi-truthfully.

"That's horrible," Rowan gasped, putting a hand to his mouth. "I'm so sorry for asking."

"Uh, wait, that came out poorly," Ruby said, backtracking. "I mean, my parents are dead, but I was, uh, adopted. Some things happened, and then I heard about this settlement project and signed up, and here I am."

"Did your family move here with you?"

"I was adopted by a human family," Ruby said, thinking quickly. "We had a sort of fallout, and then I came here alone."

"That's so sad," Rowan said, his eyes a little teary. "Do you miss your family?"

"A little, sometimes," Ruby said hesitantly. "But I'd like to think that I'm over it by now."

They sat in silence, looking out the windows as they watched a few faunus pass by.

"What do  _you_  do here?" Rowan asked, his curiosity prompting him to break the silence. "I don't think I've seen you before, although I haven't been around much."

"I was by myself, not really doing anything," Ruby said, reciting her rehearsed story. "You know, picking up the government handouts, wandering around. And then I moved in with a friend and decided to find a job because I was getting a little bored."

Rowan nodded, refraining from bothering her with more questions about her past.

Mingan walked into the room a few minutes later, interrupting their discussion about Hunters and Huntresses.

"In about an hour or so, some of my earlier customers are going to arrive," Mingan said. "Do you two want to make yourselves useful and help with the food preparation?"

Ruby looked at Rowan, and Rowan shrugged. "Sure," Ruby said. "But I'm not sure what I could help you with."

Mingan motioned for them to follow as he headed towards the kitchen. "Can you cut things?" he asked.

"Yup," Ruby answered enthusiastically. "I think so," Rowan said at the same time.

"Good." Mingan nonchalantly handed them two butcher knives.

Rowan gently set it on the countertop, careful of its weight, while Ruby hefted it in her palm, testing its balance. Mingan went to the refrigerator and pulled out a huge chunk of meat, holding it with one hand while pulling out a large wooden cutting board and sliding it onto the countertop. Setting the chunk of meat down, he told them how to cut it. He watched them until he was sure they knew what they were doing, then went back to his office.

"Where are the other employees?" Ruby asked, chopping carefully.

"Oh, they'll get here in about half an hour," Rowan responded. "You were saying something about Hunters? I find them so interesting. I didn't learn much about history in middle school," he explained.

"They are the guardians of the human kingdoms," Ruby said. "Although in more recent times they've protected kingdoms against other people instead of Grimm."

"Why?" Rowan asked. "Aren't they supposed to be humanity's weapon against Grimm?"

Ruby nodded. "But Grimm attacks have been dying down over the past few centuries, and by now most people look up to them as elite soldiers, rather than protectors."

They continued chatting for a while until the other workers began to arrive, back from their excursions in town.

Rowan's nose twitched. "Ugh, they've been drinking again," he said, frowning.

"Why is Mingan putting up with this?" Ruby asked, watching the inebriated cooks unsteadily begin cooking.

"Well, Mingan gets extra money from the government if he hires more people," Rowan said, chopping a little harder than necessary. "And since the food being prepared is simple, them being drunk doesn't really affect the quality of the dishes. So as long as they do the work and Mingan gets paid, Mingan doesn't mind much."

Rowan saw her confusion. "Mingan isn't a bad person," he amended, "But I wish he'd fire some of these people." One of the chefs staggered over, as if on cue. "And this is one of them," he muttered, looking apprehensive.

A man with weasel ears strutted over, a scar on one side of his face and a weak chin decorating his jaw. He had dull green eyes and dull brown hair, a nasty smile on his face.

"Hey Rowan," he grinned, edging uncomfortably close. "Remember what I said earlier?"

Rowan gulped. "Y-yes," he stuttered. "I already agreed, Cedric."

"Good," Cedric said, his yellow teeth doing nothing to help his looks.

Ruby watched with interest as Cedric squeezed Rowan's bottom, making the little fox involuntarily squeak.

"Hey, we have knives, you know," Ruby said, pointing her knife at Cedric.

"Ooh, scary," Cedric smirked, throwing up his hands in mock terror.

But he walked away anyways, going back to work.

"Thanks," Rowan said, sighing and rubbing the sore spot.

Ruby sidled up to him. "So now that I've saved you, do I get a reward?" she asked, putting an arm around him.

"Um, what?" Rowan squeaked, freezing.

Ruby gave him a peck on the cheek, then backed away, pushing down her urges. "Never mind," she said, smiling.

Rowan looked at her nervously, then picked up his knife and started chopping again.

"Why don't you tell Mingan?" Ruby asked after a little bit of silence.

"Well, I just started working here, and I don't want to run to Mingan for everything," Rowan said defensively. "And besides, I can take care of myself."

"Of course," Ruby said, not wanting to argue with him.

Ruby suddenly remembered something. "Ah, I need to tell Maia where I am," she said hurriedly, washing off her hands and wiping them dry. "Do you have a tablet I could borrow?"

Rowan shook his head. "Is Maia your friend?" he asked. "And you could go ask Mingan and see if he has a tablet."

Ruby nodded and quickly walked out of the room, ignoring the looks from the other chefs. Mingan's door was locked, some muffled sounds coming from inside.

"You okay in there?" Ruby asked.

There was some cursing, a chair scraping across the floor, a squeak that was decidedly feminine. "I'm fine," Mingan called out, his voice a little gruff. "What do you need?"

"Sorry for bothering you," Ruby apologized. "Do you have a tablet I could borrow?"

"It's on the counter," Mingan responded. "Password is GRYWLF."

Ruby looked around the dining room, finding a small counter at the register and a tablet next to it. Swiping it open, she typed in the password and called Maia.

A few rings later, Maia picked up, her worried profile filling the screen. "Hello?" she asked. "Red? What are you doing with someone else's tablet?"

"Uh, I found a job," Ruby said, unsure how to begin. "I'll be back by seven."

"A job?" Maia asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're in New Haven right now?"

"I'm, you know, establishing my identity and all that," Ruby said. "If you called me, I didn't pick up because the tablet is at your house."

"I saw," Maia said. "I'm at home right now. Why didn't you bring it with you?"

"I didn't have anywhere to put it," Ruby explained. "It wouldn't fit in my jeans."

Maia palmed her face. "We're getting you a handbag as soon as possible," she decided. "Where are you working?"

Ruby picked up the tablet and walked to the window, trying to read the sign backwards. "The 'Grey Wolf Eatery'," Ruby said. "Huh, that's not very creative."

"A carnivore shop?" Maia asked, interested. "I'm going to have to ask you a few questions when you get back."

"No problem," Ruby said. "I have some questions too."

Maia nodded. "Alright, I guess I'll see you at seven. Stay safe."

"Yes ma'am," Ruby smiled, and ended the call.

"Who were you calling?" Rowan asked as Ruby went back to cutting the meat.

"The friend I moved in with," Ruby said, careful not to divulge any details. "You wouldn't know her."

"You already said her name was Maia," Rowan reminded her. "Is she an herbivore? Not that I have anything against them, of course."

"Yeah," Ruby conceded. "You don't dislike them?"

Rowan shook his head. "No, I think it's stupid," he said bluntly. "We're all faunus, aren't we? Some are bad people, but it has nothing to do with their eating habits."

"That's so sweet," Ruby gushed, giving Rowan a surprise hug and nearly lifting him off of the ground.

"I can't breathe," Rowan wheezed.

"Sorry, sorry," Ruby said, setting him down and going back to work.

* * *

Ruby left at seven, saying a goodbye to Rowan as they parted ways in front of the shop. The dinner rush was over, most of the customers gone already, so Mingan let them and some other employees go for the night.

"See you tomorrow," Ruby said, waving to Rowan.

"See you," he replied, walking away.

Ruby looked around, realizing that she was lost. It was nighttime and streetlights illuminated the road, but Rowan was already gone.

"Crud," she muttered, realizing that she'd have to go ask someone for directions.

"Lost?" Maia asked, clearly amused.

Ruby spun around, surprised to see Maia walking up to her. "I just got here," Maia said, smiling. "How was your day?"

"Good. Thanks for picking me up," Ruby said gratefully. "I'm not sure where we are right now."

Maia pointed towards the street signs. "Remember them," she said, beginning to walk. "I'm surprised you didn't get lost in the wilderness."

"I had my tablet," Ruby explained. "It has a GPS and a map on it."

"That explains it," Maia chuckled. "Did you eat yet?"

Ruby shook her head. "I was going to eat with you."

"What, you don't like meat?"

"Meat is good," Ruby assured her. "But I didn't think you'd want to eat at the carnivore restaurant."

"You're being clingy, Red," Maia scolded her. "Let's just go get some noodles again, unless you want something else?"

"Noodles are good too," Ruby said quickly. "How far is it from here? I'm starving."

"Pretty close," Maia said. "The restaurants are all clustered near each other."

They reached their destination in a few minutes, Maia pushing open the door and sitting down in the same spot as last time.

"I tried to get a job at some herbivore restaurants," Ruby began. "But they turned me down instantly. How come I can eat in here?"

"They know me," Maia said, taking off her parka. "And I know the owner. Why did you get try to get a job?"

Ruby shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't want to depend on you," she explained. "I wanted some of my own money to spend."

"Sounds good," Maia agreed. "Now you won't just be a parasite."

"Hey," Ruby cried, indignant. "I'm useful."

Maia called the waiter over, placing their orders. "Oh yeah?"

Ruby racked her brain. "In the past few weeks, a few people have quit their jobs at the place I was working at," she offered. "They said something about, and I quote, 'better job opportunities.'"

"Did you ask what type of faunus they were?"

Ruby shook her head.

Maia thought for a moment. "That's fine," she said. "It doesn't really matter, not when they're so obviously quitting their jobs to commit crimes instead."

"You think so?"

Maia nodded. "Why work at a low-paying, thankless job if you can just go rob and steal? Robbing and stealing is probably more exciting than being a cashier. Do you think you could get their names?"

"I'll try," Ruby said. "But I don't want to make them suspicious."

"Do what you can," Maia said. "You might be able to find out more tonight."

Ruby blinked for a second, her eyes widening in comprehension. "Oh right! I have the meeting with Emmett tonight." She looked up, glancing at the clock. "Do you think we're late?" she asked worriedly.

Maia shook her head. "We're fine," she said.

The noodles arrived, Ruby and Maia digging in.

"There aren't a lot of kids in this town," Ruby observed. "Why is that?"

"It's simple," Maia said. "People with children aren't as willing to uproot themselves and join some far-off settlement."

"That makes sense," Ruby said. "I met this fox faunus at the restaurant today, and he was my age. So I guess that's pretty rare?"

Maia nodded, swallowing her mouthful before speaking. "That's interesting," she said. "But you'll have to tell me more later. We need to finish our food and get going."

Ruby quickly ate the rest of her noodles, drinking down the soup, Maia already finished as usual.

"So what's the plan?" Ruby asked, following Maia to the door.

"Go up and talk to him," Maia said, buttoning up her parka and pushing open the door. "I'll try to follow you if you guys go anywhere, but I have to be cautious because I can't let them see me. You'll have to be observant and remember everything. Apparently we didn't request any bugging devices, because no one thought they would be useful out here, so you're on your own."

"Okay," Ruby said, trying to stay calm.

Maia slapped her back. "Act natural," she said. "Don't look too confident, but don't let them pick on you. Pretend you're a predator."

Ruby let out a breath. "I can do that," she told herself.

They soon arrived at the bar, Maia casually walking inside, Ruby trying to imitate her. Emmett was in the same place, sitting back and waiting for her, but this time he had two other people next to him.

"You," Cedric stared, recognizing her. "You're the new one?"

Next to the weasel faunus sat a tall, long-limbed man, dark-skinned with spotted ears on his head.

"Uh, hi," Ruby said, also surprised to see him.

"Good to see you, Maia," Emmett said, standing up. "But we have some business to attend to. We were just waiting for Rose."

"Not even one drink?" Maia asked, pretending to be disappointed.

Emmett shook his head. "See you tomorrow, Maia."

The three of them turned to leave, heading for the door. Ruby looked at Maia, unsure of what to do, and Maia gestured for her to follow them. "Go," she mouthed.

Ruby nodded and walked quickly, catching up to them just as they reached the door. No one said a word as they walked down the street towards some unknown destination. Another woman, also a cheetah faunus, slinked out of the shadows, silently joining their group.

Ruby attempted to make conversation. "So, where are we going?" she asked, her voice awkwardly fading away as she noticed that none of them even looked at her.

"Be quiet," Emmett growled.

Ruby sealed her lips, just following them. She wanted to look back to see if Maia was behind them, but she didn't want to give anything away.

They got to their destination half an hour later, the group silently making a complicated series of twists and turns that left Ruby bewildered. They stopped at the outskirts of the town, in front of an abandoned, run-down two-story home. A faint light showed through the cracks of the boarded-up windows, and Ruby heard snatches of conversation coming from inside.

Emmett rapped on the door, making a distinctive knocking pattern.

"It's us," he said.

The door opened up immediately, a large man with black-tipped orange and white tiger ears standing in the doorway.

"New member?" he asked happily, stepping aside.

Emmett nodded, walking inside. Ruby had no choice but to follow him, the tiger closing the door and locking it behind her.

"Which reptile?" he asked, pacing himself and walking with Ruby.

"Snake," Ruby answered immediately, remembering Mark.

The tiger nodded in approval.

As they walked down the hallways, Ruby caught glimpses of the other rooms. Groups of carnivores were meeting up, planning out the night's activities. Emmett led his own group to one of the empty rooms, shutting the door behind them. The tiger remained outside.

The room was bare, the floor wooden, the walls undecorated. The only window was sealed with wooden planks, and the only furniture in the room was a large rectangular table surrounded with more chairs than needed.

Emmett turned to her, suddenly patting her down and checking her pockets. Ruby didn't do anything, assuming that this was standard procedure, and Emmett seemed to be mostly professional, perhaps taking a little too long on her chest.

"Clear," Emmett said.

They each took seats, the faunus now beginning to talk.

"What are  _you_  doing here?" Cedric sneered. "Shouldn't you be out protecting the weak?"

"Quiet," Emmett said, silencing him. "Rose, do you know what we do?"

"Uh, no?"

"We hunt," hissed the cheetahs.

"We have some fun, and we make a little money on the side," Emmett explained. "Some extortion, threatening, general mayhem, toying with the grass-eaters." He grinned, licking his fangs. "You in?"

His words and his suggestive actions made Ruby's blood thrum, her body heating up. "Yes," Ruby said decisively.

"She is young," one of the cheetahs said. "She is weak," the other one clarified.

"Don't make judgments too quickly," Emmett said, smiling. He nodded to Cedric.

The chair clattered to the ground as the weasel leapt out of it, hands extended. Ruby instinctively slammed a palm into his chest and sent him flying into the wall. He slid down, unable to stand, gasping in pain.

The cheetahs stared.

"See?" Emmett said triumphantly. He pointed at Ruby. "I could see it in her eyes."

The male faunus nodded slowly, but the female still looked unconvinced.

"But can she hunt? Can she understand, enjoy, the thrill?"

"We'll see tonight," Emmett said. "And I think we'll have a lot more fun now that we have another person to run with us."

Cedric slowly got up, unhappily setting his chair upright and taking a seat again. Ruby heart was still pounding, her body filled with adrenaline.

Emmett grinned, pleased with Ruby's reaction "Let's start with the introductions."

* * *

**Note:**

**And so yeah, that was this chapter. Rate and Review, PM me, comment, etc. :D**


	48. Disguised Pt 5

"I am Keith," the male cheetah said, stretching out his limbs and relaxing his posture.

"I am Hari," the female cheetah said, setting her forearms on the table and staring at Ruby.

The two cheetahs had dark skin and long features, eyes slightly tilted and their irises large and round. The female had short dirty blonde hair, the male similarly colored, and both had dark red eyes, nearly amber in color.

Cedric grunted, a sullen expression on his face, refusing to look at her.

"And you know me as Emmett," the dark-haired jaguar said, folding his arms and leaning back.

"I'm Rose," Ruby said. "Hi."

"You are small," Hari accused her.

Emmett sighed in exasperation. At that moment, the tiger poked his head in.

"I heard you guys fighting," he said.

"Just establishing an order," Emmett said, smiling. "Rose here had to teach Cedric a lesson."

The tiger nodded, leaving and closing the door.

Emmett cleared his throat, addressing the group. "Tonight we're going to raid the mice."

Cedric frowned. "Mice are too slow," he complained. "And too easy."

"Don't worry, you won't be disappointed," Emmett chuckled. "In fact, I think you'll find this to be the hardest one yet."

"When do we leave?" Ruby asked, jittering a little. "Do we have to go with the other people I saw?"

"Patience," Emmett laughed. "We need to agree on what we're doing first, and then we'll leave in about two hours, when the prey have just arrived home."

He pulled out a small piece of paper, scanning it quickly before shredding it into confetti, the scraps littering the floor. "Apparently we've come to an agreement of no theft tonight," he declared. "Which is good, because at the previous rate we were going at we were about to collapse their little economic system."

Keith spoke up. "Hunt together or apart?"

Emmett thought for a moment. "Together," he decided. "As I've said, tonight's going to be tough, and we'll need to make sure that we catch them."

"Catch them?" Ruby asked.

"Ah, you don't know yet, do you?"

Ruby shook her head.

"It's simple," Emmett explained. "We hunt them, catch them, and then threaten them to shut up or else. We can't let anyone escape, because then those little bastards might find the courage to speak up."

"Ohh," Ruby nodded.

"Glad you understand," he said, pulling out a pack of cards. "This is your trial run, so you'll need to stay in this room where we can keep an eye on you."

Ruby wanted to groan in frustration, but she held it in, instead getting up and walking around as the four silently played cards on the table. Ruby caught Hari staring at her a few times, the cheetah glancing up from her cards to watch her pace about the room.

Ruby didn't recognize the variation of card game they were playing, so she sat down in the corner, rocking back and forth. She tried to sweep her cloak around herself, but caught nothing but air as she realized where she was. Wrapping her arms around her knees, Ruby put her head down and eventually dozed off, lulled to sleep by the sound of the four playing cards and the occasional disappointed grunts.

* * *

Ruby jerked awake at the sound of Emmett's voice. "Time to go," he said, pushing himself back and standing up, the chair scraping across the floor.

He swept up the pile of cards as Ruby yawned and stretched out her legs, blinking away the tears. The other three faunus already stood by the door, eager to leave. She scrambled up, smoothing down her clothes and joining them at the door.

Emmett led the way, opening the door and stepping into the hallway. The other faunus were also leaving, Emmett's group being one of the last to depart.

"Keep up," he told Ruby, each one of his steps increasing in speed as they neared the exit.

By the time they left the house, Emmett was gracefully loping ahead, each one of his strides equaling three of Ruby's. The two cheetahs kept up with him, Cedric a little further behind. Ruby eagerly followed, dashing forward, careful not to use too much speed as she kept pace.

Ruby didn't even bother to ask how far they were going, instead just enjoying the run, happy to have an excuse to dash about.

They quickly left the outskirts of the town, taking a path toward a small town in the distance. They didn't meet anyone on the road, Emmett having timed the excursion so that most of the mice would have already gotten home by the time they arrived.

The path split off into branches, each leading to a different section of the small town. Emmett stopped for a second, sniffing the air.

"This way," he said, picking one of the paths on the right.

They slowed their pace, stealthily using the alley and the shadows to sneak closer to their target. Ruby couldn't keep track of the turns, so she followed the others closely. The streets were lit with lampposts, something that seemed to be characteristic of more populated towns.

Emmett stopped across the street from a simple two story house with a pointed roof. Ruby wondered why he chose this house, then realized that all of the nearby houses were either abandoned or empty, the inhabitants not yet returned. Two lights were shining through the shutters on the second floor, and a light was on at the first floor.

"Have fun," Emmett said, leading them across the street.

A stone pathway led up the door, a neatly trimmed lawn covering the front yard, the snow swept away. Emmett knocked on the door a few times, rapping urgently.

Half a minute later, someone came to the door, a muffled voice coming from the inside.

"Who's there?"

"Delivery," Emmett grinned, his fangs showing.

An eye looked through the peephole, widening and quickly stumbling back. Emmett slammed his fist through the door, wooden splinters spraying everywhere, a black aura glowing around him as he wrenched the entire door off of the frame. A mouse faunus was sitting on the floor, dressed in pajamas and a nightcap.

Lightning-fast, Emmett shook the door off of his forearm and swiped at the mouse. The mouse squeaked and shoved himself back, barely avoiding Emmett's hands.

"Sharon, get the gun!" the mouse screamed, turning and running up the stairs, the two cheetahs taking off after him.

A diminutive woman who had large mouse ears and was dressed in a nightgown peeked around the corner, gasping as she saw them. Emmett pounced, his shoes digging up the rug as he ran towards her. She quickly retreated, Ruby hearing cabinets slam open as the woman searched for the gun.

Cedric and Ruby followed the cheetahs upstairs, the stairs creaking and cracking as they dashed up, instinctively chasing after the fleeing prey.

As Ruby rounded the stairs and entered the hallway, she saw the mouse dive into a room, slamming the door shut behind him and locking the two out. They both snarled, slashing and pounding at the solid oak door, the frame beginning to give away.

Another two screams came from two separate bedrooms as the cheetahs ravaged the door, Cedric and Ruby instantly turning towards the two sources and splitting up, Cedric running down the left side while Ruby ran towards the right. The screams seemed to call to her, telling her that there was potential food inside, that there was something she could kill.

Locating a small bedroom, Ruby tried the doorknob, finding it locked. She twisted harder, the metal knob coming off in her hands, so she kicked the remnants of the lock, the wood giving away and the mechanisms scattering across the floor. She began punching at the remaining pieces, blood smearing her split knuckles as the solid door slowly gave, the sight of her own exposed flesh combined with the terrified cries sending her into a frenzy.

The screaming inside the room suddenly cut off, Ruby hearing a drawer open as she broke down the door. Stepping inside, she stared into the barrel of a gun, the weapon shaking in the faunus girl's hand. She was about the same age as Ruby and even shorter than her, her distinctive mouse ears nearly flattened against her head in fright.

"I-I've g-got a g-gun," she trembled. "S-stay back."

Ruby only bared her teeth, taking a step forward, the gun firing with surprising force. The impact slammed into Ruby, bruising her but unable to penetrate her aura. Ruby was momentarily forced back a step, the girl staring in shock. More shots were fired, the seventh one finally going through her aura and catching her in the chest, sending her flying back and slamming into the wall.

Blood leaked through the hole in her black sweater, the liquid barely distinguishable over the dark coloring. Ruby coughed blood, clutching her chest and crouching over, red smearing the wall behind her. The faunus girl began to look hopeful as she lined up her sights and prepared to fire again.

And then the gun clicked empty, the faunus girl cursing and dropping it. Ruby choked out an amused laugh, straightening up and walking towards her. With a panicked squeal, the girl dove under her bed, hiding beneath the metal frame that was anchored to the floor.

Feeling slightly better now, Ruby resumed her attack, tearing into the mattress, fluff flying everywhere. Cotton flew into the air as Ruby exposed the frame, the crying mouse under it visible.

"Here mousy mousy mousy," Ruby taunted, grinning with bloodstained teeth.

She shoved her arm between the coils, trying to grab the girl's leg. The mouse faunus cried out, instinctively kicking at her, bending Ruby's arm at an awkward angle and popping out her elbow and shoulder.

Ruby growled in discomfort, retracting her arm and shoving it back into place. Gripping the sides of the frame, she began tearing at it, the metal shredding beneath her fingers, her fingertips growing ragged and bone being exposed as she ripped the metal frame into pieces.

Cedric stepped into the room, holding a tear-stained boy up by his collar and smiling with delight.

"I already got mine, Rose," he crowed.

His eyes widened as Ruby ripped the metal bed out of the floor, flinging it across the room as she dove for the exposed faunus underneath. The girl had already crawled out from under the bed, however, tugging open a tiny cabinet on the side of the wall and somehow managing to squirm inside.

Ruby screamed in frustration, grabbing hold of the cabinet panels and ripping them off, Cedric barely dodging one as it came flying towards him.

Ruby smashed the wall, dust flying up as she demolished the plaster, trying to open a hole large enough for herself to fit through. She immediately hit a stone wall, a few fingers cracking as she slammed her fists into it.

Cedric heard the audible cracks, wincing. "Holy shit Rose, calm down."

Ruby ignored him, every instinct in her body telling her to chase after the prey. Grabbing pieces of the bedframe she had dismantled, she began smashing at the wall, sparks flying and chunks of stone scattering across the floor.

A few minutes later, all of the metal she had was warped and bent, Ruby resorting to wrapping what was left around her knuckles and slamming them into the wall.

"That's a passageway," Emmett observed, walking down the hallway, an unconscious faunus slung over his shoulder. "They're in the attic."

Ruby's head whipped towards him, taking a second to process the words.

Emmett pointed toward a room at the end of the hallway, Ruby immediately dashing past him.

"Someone's been cooped up a little too long," Emmett laughed, eyeing the damage Ruby had wrought.

Cedric rubbed his head, a little sore from where the board had clipped him. "She's fucking insane," he muttered.

Ruby ran into the room, the cheetahs already inside and snarling. The room was surprisingly high, accounting for extra space in the triangular roof. A trapdoor was in the ceiling, the ladder drawn up behind it and the panel closed. The cheetahs, despite being fast on their feet, couldn't make the jump, their fingers still a good foot short of the trapdoor. They prowled the floor, circling the opening and growling.

Ruby immediately ran forward and leapt up, slamming her fist through the paneling and grabbing on. Someone screamed on the inside, Ruby recognizing it as the girl, and someone else cursed.

The voices spurred her on, Ruby swinging herself up and smashing her other fist through the wood, grabbing onto the ledge, now hanging by her fingertips in midair.

A slipper smashed into her fingers, the already cracked bones breaking even further as Ruby lost her grip and fell back down, landing in a crouch.

Emmett and Cedric stood in the doorway, watching.

"Want to go help?" Emmett asked Cedric.

"No way in hell," Cedric said, shaking his head.

Emmett looked at the scene. "They're trapped in there anyways, so we might as well let Rose have her fun, eh?"

Ruby jumped back up, again and again, each time dragging down pieces of the trap door. The cheetahs had backed off, content to watch as she slowly widened the opening.

A shotgun poked out of the hole Ruby made, a gunshot echoing through the room as the Dust slug hit Ruby in the shoulder, deadening her arm. Ruby hissed, one arm hanging by her side, desperate to get to the people inside.

Emmett stepped forward, intending to interfere, but Ruby suddenly jumped up, throwing her entire body through the trapdoor.

Gunshots echoed in the attic, and for a moment the room went silent as the gun ran empty, the predators intently listening.

"I guess that's it," Emmett said, walking towards the opening in the ceiling.

And then screaming began again, sounds of thudding in the attic and the ceiling cracking. A blood-stained Ruby tumbled out of the opening, clutching both faunus and ripping at them with her good arm. A few more bullet holes peppered her chest, her sweater completely ruined.

Ruby lost her grip on the male mouse, her bloody and broken fingers losing their grip on his arm, but she lunged forward, biting down on the girl's collarbone. The girl screamed, struggling and writhing, making her taste oh-so-much more delicious, Ruby gouging out a chunk of flesh from her neck.

Then she was suddenly in the air, slamming into a wall. Emmett had kicked her away from the faunus, a frown on his face.

"Restrain yourself, Rose," he scowled. "No killing, or else you'll get the Council involved."

Ruby lay on the ground, chewing and swallowing the meat in her mouth, blood leaking out of multiple torso wounds.

"More," she rasped. "I want more."

"We'll do this again in a week or so," Emmett assured her, misinterpreting her words.

He turned to the other three faunus, setting the female mouse on the ground.

"This was a success," he decided. "What do you three think?"

Cedric slowly nodded, having enjoyed himself despite Ruby's insanity. The two cheetahs had scared the male mouse on the ground into silence, now looking back up at Emmett.

"I accept her," Hari said. "Rose is a good hunter." Keith nodded. "Rose is undisciplined, but she can do what we cannot."

"Good, good," Emmett said, happy that things had worked out.

The man was frozen on the ground, paralyzed in fear. His daughter was shivering and clutching her ragged shoulder, stemming the blood flow. The boy had curled up next to the daughter, huddling next to her and trying to ignore the predators staring down at them. The woman was just beginning to wake up, looking around groggily.

"If you can keep your mouths shut, we'll just leave right now and stop bothering you grass-eaters," Emmett said, grinning. "But if we hear a peep outa any of you, we're gonna come back and do even worse. Understand?"

Only the man was cognizant enough to respond, nodding shakily.

"Good."

Emmett picked Ruby up under her arms, Ruby involuntarily coughing to prevent her lungs from filling with blood, and left the room, Cedric behind him. The cheetahs gave the family one last hiss before leaving, making them flinch.

"I'm okay," Ruby coughed, gently pushing Emmett away and standing up on her own.

Emmett looked at her in surprise. "You don't look okay."

Ruby took a few deep breaths, rolling her neck and joints and popping back the dislocated parts. She reset her broken fingers, pulling them back into place and realigning the bones. The cheetahs stared at her, Cedric looking away in disgust as she fixed herself.

"I'm good," she repeated, yawning and popping her jaw.

She wiped her face, realizing that her sweater was beyond repair. "That was fun," Ruby said, smiling. "What do we do now?"

"Glad you enjoyed it," Emmett said. "Now we disperse and go home. Meet us in the bar every night, and I'll tell you when we're doing another raid."

"Alright," Ruby said, walking to the closet and rummaging around. "Don't mind me, I'm just looking for some new clothes."

Cedric and the two cheetahs left without a word, jumping down the stairs and strolling out of the front door.

"I need to stay and make sure you don't go back and kill them," Emmett said, unmoving.

Ruby shrugged as she found a brown jacket, slipping it on. "Alright," she said. "I'm going to go home now."

Emmett walked down the stairs, Ruby right behind him. "This goes without saying, but you'll need to keep this a secret from everyone, no matter how much you want to tell any of your friends."

"Of course," Ruby exclaimed incredulously. "I'm not going to lose the opportunity to have this much fun."

She quickly hid her downcast expression as she realized that she would have to tell Maia.

"You live with Maia, right?" Emmett suddenly asked, as though he were reading her mind.

"Yup," Ruby responded, wondering where he was going with this.

Emmett opened the front door. "She probably already knows what we're doing, so you won't need to make an excuse for where you've been."

Ruby paused. "What do you mean?"

"She's just like those other cops," Emmett explained. "Hand her some money, and she won't give a shit. I've been hinting at what we've been doing for weeks now, and she hasn't done anything."

"That's, uh, good to hear," Ruby said, surprised by how well Maia had been playing her role.

She looked around, not recognizing where she was. "Can you give me directions?" Ruby asked. "I'm lost."

Emmett frowned. "Remember the way this time," he said, gesturing for her to follow.

The two started making their way back, staying in the shadows, heading for Maia's house.

* * *

**Note:**

**That was this chapter.**

**Read, review, comment, PM me, etc :D  
If you guys have any suggestions and stuff, feel free to message me, I'm always looking to improve!**


	49. Disguise Pt 6

Emmett dropped her off at one of the paths leading to the police housing district. The two had made their way back to the main city from the mouse community, Emmett sprinting ahead and Ruby barely able to keep up, still injured. But she hid it well, and Emmett didn't notice or just didn't comment on anything.

"You're one tough snake," he said, eyeing Ruby's bloody appearance. "I'd love to see you hunt some of the tougher prey."

Ruby nodded, smiling. "I'd be glad to," she said, exposing her sharp teeth.

Emmett gave a throaty chuckle, walking back into the city and disappearing into the night.

The moment the jaguar was out of sight, Ruby sat down heavily, taking deep gasps and waiting for her vision to stop swaying. She had put on a strong front for the four other faunus, masking her injured movements and stalling for time when she was searching for the jacket.

Now she leaned back against the wall, head tilting upwards as she looked up into the blurry night sky. The bullet holes were healing on the surface, but she keenly felt the tunnel dug by each one, her lungs still leaking a little. Her sweater had clotted most of the blood, the fabric now stiff, but she had still lost a lot of blood beforehand.

It was past midnight now, the moon bright overhead as Ruby slowly got up, still a little unsteady. Her arms and legs were trembling a little, the symptoms of her dangerously low blood pressure coming, her rage and adrenaline run down.

A few people were still walking home as Ruby stumbled back into the city, looking for all the world like a drunk trying to make her way home. No one paid attention to her as she lurched from the shadows, her brown jacket doing a good job of hiding any dried blood, the pulled-up hood hiding her matted hair and stained face. Ruby kept her fingers in her pockets, the broken and ragged tips still not healed.

Ruby's extremities were cold, her head feverish, her heart beating rapidly as her body went into overdrive, trying to compensate for the massive blood loss.

Her foot couldn't raise itself in time, hitting a slightly raised edge of sidewalk and sending her stumbling to the ground. She lay there for a while, catching her breath.

"Are you okay?"

Ruby looked up, staring in shock as Alys stood there. And then she blinked, the illusion disappearing, a doe faunus with similar features but different a different eye color and mouth shape standing over her.

She screamed upon seeing Ruby's face, her voice abruptly ending in a gurgle as Ruby pulled her down and put both hands to her throat, using her body weight to pin her down and choke her. She scrabbled at Ruby's arms, the jacket denying her purchase. Ruby squeezed harder, the doe's eyes rolling upwards as her brain stopped receiving blood, eventually fainting.

Ruby sat back, gasping for breath, exhausted by the effort. The run back from the mouse community had greatly tired her, and now she barely had any strength left.

Looking around and finding the streets empty, Ruby dragged the doe to a bench, propping her up. She wanted to eat her, but she also didn't want the council to be alerted by the death and have them crack down on their nightly activities.

Rummaging through the doe's handbag, Ruby felt around and triumphantly pulled out a miniature tablet, taking it and leaving the unconscious doe faunus.

She walked into an alley, one hand on the wall for balance as she swiped the tablet open. Ruby stumbled around for a while, getting some distance before the doe woke up and turning down a few more alleyways. It took quite a few tries, but she eventually had Maia's number dialed, sliding to the ground and placing the tablet next to her as she waited for Maia to pick up.

Maia's face appeared on the screen. "Hello?"

Holding the tablet up, she pointed it at her face, smiling wearily at the rabbit faunus. "Hey there, Maia," Ruby whispered. "Can you pick me up?"

"Red?" Maia gasped. "What the hell happened to you?"

The background in the screen shifted as Maia lay the tablet down on the table, throwing on clothes.

"Where are you? And how did you get the tablet?"

"I, uh, commandeered it," Ruby said weakly. "I need… a quick nap."

"Stay with me, Red!" Maia ordered, running out of the house and slamming the door shut. "Tell me where you are!"

Ruby sighed, tired, using her hands to push off of the ground and crawling to the corner, peeking out of the alley. The streetlight illuminated the intersecting street signs, Ruby barely able to see the letters in the dim glow.

She crawled back to the tablet, cheek pressed to the ground, not even bothering to get up. "Second Street, I think," Ruby blinked, her eyes unable to focus. "Goodnight."

"Damnit, Red!"

The last thing Ruby heard was sound of Maia cursing, the words growing tinny and muffled as she faded out of consciousness.

* * *

"Red? Wake up! Or else I'm taking you to the hospital, damn the consequences."

Ruby groaned, her eyelids heavy as she struggled to wake up. Maia was crouched over her, frantically checking her wrist for a pulse. Her jacket was zipped open, her sweater bunched up around her shoulders so Maia could see the extent of her injuries.

"No hospital," Ruby muttered. "Just need food. Meat."

Maia paused, hearing Ruby's words. "Meat?" she asked, confused. "You need intravenous fluids and surgery. You've got bullet holes everywhere and I can't even feel your pulse. You shouldn't even be conscious right now."

Ruby grabbed her hand, staring into her scarlet eyes. "I need food," she pleaded.

Maia looked at her for a second, realizing the futility of arguing with her. "Ugh, fine," she conceded. "If you die, it's not my fault."

"Thanks," Ruby called out.

Ruby was going back to sleep when she heard a motorcycle roar, the tires screeching as it took off. She quickly opened her eyes, catching a glimpse of Maya's blue uniform as the motorcycle rounded the corner, its purring fading into the distance.

"Cool," Ruby whispered to herself.

She dozed off again, waiting for Maia's return.

The motorcycle woke her up a few minutes later, Ruby having been listening for its distinctive sound. Maia pulled off her helmet, flipping down the kickstand and getting off of the motorcycle. She took a large parcel out of her messenger bag, the object wrapped in many layers of brown paper.

"I got your meat," Maia said, holding out the package. "Let me help you up, and I'll cook for you when we get home."

"Give it to me," Ruby said. "Please," she amended, seeing Maia's face.

"You're going to eat it raw?" Maia asked, surprised.

Ruby nodded, and Maia handed her the wrapped meat. The blood smelled stale and the meat was cold, but Ruby was hungry and didn't care, her body demanding resources so that it could continue healing.

She paused for a second, looking up. "Do you, uh, want to go anywhere else?"

Maia shook her head, grinning despite looking a little sick. "I haven't seen a human eat raw meat before," she explained, interested. "Go on, I've got a strong stomach."

She stared in horrified fascination as Ruby tore into her meat, her sharp teeth easily ripping through the flesh and shredding it. The three pounds of steak quickly disappeared as Ruby devoured them in large bites, barely chewing before swallowing.

When the meat was all gone, she wiped her mouth, panting, looking expectantly at Maia.

"What?" Maia asked. "I didn't know you would eat so much. That meat was supposed to last for at least a few more meals for you."

"It's fine," Ruby assured her quickly. "I'm good for now."

Even as she spoke, she felt her lightheadedness begin to fade, her body churning out new blood cells and restoring blood to her extremities.

"So you weren't grossed out?" Ruby asked, Maia sitting down next to her.

"Nah," the rabbit faunus said. "Besides, it's just food, right? Just not in the form I'm used to seeing people eat it in."

Ruby smiled, Maia's statement making her happy. "Thank you," Ruby said, leaning in for a hug.

"Uh-uh-uh," Maia said, poking her bare chest. "You're covered with blood, and all that's keeping you decent is a bra."

Ruby glanced down, blushing, quickly pulling her sweater down. A piece came off in her hand, the black fabric completely torn around the edges.

"Yeah, you're going to need new clothes," Maia observed. "Your jeans are all dirty too."

Ruby shrugged, zipping her jacket up. "I don't know when I'll get my paycheck," she said. "So I don't know when I'll be able to buy some clothes."

Maia gave her a hug, Ruby's jacket having only a little bit of dried blood. "Like I said, I'll lend you my money. Pay me back whenever."

Ruby enjoyed the hug, Maia's chest pressing against her.

The rabbit let out a sigh. "For a second, I thought you were dead," she confessed. "I mean, I stabbed you with a knife before, and once again, I'm sorry about that, but this time you were completely pale and I could barely feel your pulse. I'm glad you're okay now."

Maia hugged her tightly, then tried to pull back. "Red, you can let go," she said, Ruby clinging onto her.

Ruby didn't want to let go, but she eventually did, both of them just sitting against the wall and staring into the sky.

"So what happened?" Maia asked.

Ruby's stomach growled. "Can we get some more meat, and then talk at home?" Ruby asked. "You have a motorcycle."

"Ah, that," Maia said, standing up and holding out a hand. "I borrowed one from the police station so I could find you faster. Told them it was an emergency."

Ruby took her hand and pulled herself up. "It's really cool," she gushed. "I really like it. Is there any chance you could keep it?"

Maia shook her head. "I don't have enough Dust to refuel it, so after we get some more food we're going to need to bring it back to the police station."

"Aww," Ruby complained.

They hopped onto the bike, Maia putting on the helmet and Ruby wrapping her arms around Maia.

Maia sighed. "Red, move your arms down and put your hands back to where they belong."

Ruby grimaced in disappointment, an opportunity lost, as she moved her arms to encircle Maia's waist instead.

The motorcycle was incredibly speedy, the powerful Dust motors letting hurtle down the streets. Ruby briefly thought about Yang, then instantly crushed the thought. Less than a minute later, Maia braked to a stop in front of a butcher shop.

"You go in this time," Maia said, pulling out a wallet. "I think I've ruined my reputation enough."

Ruby took the lien Maia proffered her. "How did you even buy the meat in the first place? I thought they didn't serve herbivores."

"I said it was for a friend. Why the hell did I say that?" Maia groaned. "I should've just told them to shut up and listen to the police officer."

Ruby laughed, walking to the door and pushing it open. A bear faunus sat at the counter, snoring in his chair, his apron askew and an open book in front of him.

"Uh, hello?" Ruby said tentatively. "Can I buy something?"

The bear snorted, coming awake and shaking his head. He stared at Ruby for a second, sniffing the air.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Ruby looked at the selection of meats.

"I'll take two pounds of ribs and two pounds of roast," she decided, pointing them out.

The bear grunted, grabbing the chunks of beef and setting them down on the scale. He checked the weight, adjusting it, then rang her order up. Ruby paid with Maia's lien, taking back the change and picking up the meat.

"Good night," Ruby said, but the bear was already leaning back in his chair, trying to go back to sleep.

Maia was waiting for her outside, the bike revved up. Ruby memorized the route as Maia drove back to the police station, stopping in front of a rectangular building clearly labeled "Police". A gated parking area was off to the side. Maia pulled a card out of her pocket and pressed it to the scanner, the gates clicking and sliding open.

"Wait here," she said, wheeling the motorcycle in.

Ruby sneaked around, observing the building. It was made of yellow and white brick, the color barely distinguishable in the dim moonlight. The ground floor was lit, but the windows were curtained, Ruby unable to see who was inside.

"Boo," Maia said, making Ruby flinch. "Come on, let's go," she said, laughing. "Stop spying, nobody's doing anything worth looking at."

Ruby grinned at her. "Guilty as charged," she said, stepping away from the windows.

They started walking home, a bit of light snow beginning to fall. Ruby held the bag of meat in one hand, the other hand stuffed into her pocket. Maia walked alongside her, both of them taking their time, coming down from the excitement of that night.

"How did you get so injured?" Maia asked. "Why didn't Emmett call for help or bring you to the hospital?"

"Uh, I got shot a few times."

"I can see that," Maia said wryly.

"They didn't know I was so badly injured."

"They didn't see you get shot?" Maia asked incredulously. "What were you doing?"

"They did see me get shot," Ruby assured her. "But I managed to pretend I was fine until Emmett dropped me off."

"Why did Emmett drop you off?"

Ruby hesitated for a second. "I got lost again," she admitted. "I didn't know we where we were going and didn't keep track of the street names, so Emmett showed me the way back to your house."

Maia sighed, realizing that each question brought up a whole set of new ones. "So how did you pretend that you weren't hurt?"

"Well, beside from the blood loss, I was mostly fine," Ruby said, rubbing her bullet wounds. "My lungs healed up pretty quickly and I don't think I was hit anywhere else important. I was mostly just exhausted from running with Emmett and pretending I was fine."

Maia stared. "You ran at Emmett's speed in that condition?" She shook her head in amazement. "I think you may have tried a little too hard to fit in, Red."

Ruby shrugged. "I didn't want to show them any weakness. You're right, I did take a little too much damage, but I didn't want to hesitate in front of them."

Maia looked conflicted. "Ruby… do you want to stop doing this whole undercover job? I'll understand if you want to stop after what happened. Many officers have left undercover operations because of smaller issues."

Ruby shook her head immediately, surprising Maia. "No, no, it's fine," she said. "And besides, it'll be weirder if I just suddenly stop going, and then they might start suspecting you, too."

"Thanks," Maia said, relieved. "You're my only hope in fixing this whole mess. And trust me, you're going to end up helping a lot of people."

Ruby nodded. They walked the rest of the way in silence, waiting until they got to the privacy of their home before talking about the events of that night.

* * *

Ruby's head was down, Ruby lightly snoring as Maia prepared some tea. The  _thunk_ of the mug hitting the wooden table woke her, making her look up into Maia's face, squinting from the bright lamplight.

"Come on," Maia said, pulling out her tablet and setting it on the table. "Let's get this over with, while it's still fresh in your mind."

Ruby yawned, rubbing her eyes and stretching her arms out on the table. "Don't you need to go to work tomorrow?"

"Nope, today's already Saturday," she said delightedly, checking the clock. "I don't work on Saturdays or Sundays."

Picking up the mug, Ruby took a gulp of the bitter tea, making a face. "Too strong," she complained, sticking out her tongue. "Blehh."

Maia ignored her, swiping at the tablet. "Alright, Red, we're recording now.

"So what happened after we left the bar? For context, I tried to follow you, but I couldn't risk getting caught and stayed a little too far back, so I lost you early on."

"We moved really fast, and I couldn't actually keep track of where we were going. I know we ended up somewhere on the edge of town at an abandoned building."

"Their hideout?" Ruby nodded. "How large was it? Tell me anything you remember, such as its color, size, building material, and so forth."

Ruby thought for a second. "Two stories, and all the windows were boarded up. I couldn't tell what color it was because it wasn't there wasn't enough light, but I know it was a dark color. I'm not sure what it was built out of."

"Red, that description fits many, many abandoned homes throughout the city," Maia said. "Anything else?"

"Well, it's their secret hideout, so couldn't you just smell it and see if anyone was there recently?"

Maia shook her head. "The problem isn't determining whether the house was used, it's the fact that I probably won't be able to find it by myself."

"Sorry," Ruby apologized. "I'll try to see if there's anything unusual about the house next time."

Maia nodded. "What happened next?"

"Well, a tiger faunus opened the door for us. Oh, and after we left the bar, another female cheetah joined us."

"Hari, right?"

"Yup. So we went in, and uh, Emmett did a pat-down on me for bugs and stuff, and then we introduced ourselves and they played cards for the next two hours."

"Slow down," Maia said. "Did anyone else join you?"

Ruby shook her head. "Just us five: Cedric, Emmett, Hari, and Keith. Emmett made me stay in the room with the rest of them so that they could keep an eye on me."

"Would you say that they were being oddly suspicious?"

Ruby thought about what Emmett was like. "No," she decided. "It was pretty professional, and Emmett did a really standard, well, I don't know how to describe it, but it was like he was trained to do pat-downs. You know, like, using the back of your hands, not pressing too hard, avoiding contact with my uh, parts, that sort of thing."

"Interesting," Maia noted. "Did it seem as if he had military training of some sort?"

"I can't really tell," Ruby said after a few seconds. "I don't know how people with military training act. But I know that he was really calm and he always seemed to be in control."

"What happened after the two hours?"

Ruby realized where the conversation was going, her heart starting to race. "We went raided the mouse faunus community."

Maia leaned forward. "What did this 'raid' consist of? Did they want anything specific?"

"No, they were just there to hunt," Ruby answered. "And I think I remember Emmett specifically mentioning that we weren't going to be stealing cash."

"Are you sure?" Maia asked. "A few of the reports have been about stolen belongings or lien."

"They have definitely stolen before," Ruby agreed. "Emmett said something about taking too much, and that they were going to take less in the future."

Maia took a breath, nodding, then stared into Ruby's eyes. "Now, what happened during the hunt, Red?"

Ruby didn't know if she was excited by the memories or scared by the fact that Maia was so close to finding out, but she shuddered involuntarily when Maia said those words. "We attacked a mouse faunus family," Ruby whispered.

"How many people?"

"Four. The mice had a daughter and a son."

"Was anyone killed?" Maia asked, dreading the response.

"Nope," Ruby said, relieved by how Maia had phrased the question.

Maia looked surprised. "None of the predators were killed either?"

Ruby shook her head. "I think I was the only who got shot, actually."

"How  _did_  you get shot so much anyways?" Maia asked. "I still can't believe that you're fine already."

"I'm tough," Ruby laughed, trying to alleviate Maia's worries. "And some of them had guns, and I guess they picked me as their target."

"Were any of the faunus injured?"

The question seemed to come in slow motion, Ruby taking a second to register the words in her mind, refusing to accept it. She felt her blood turn cold, her throat closing up, not willing to mention her part in the bloodshed.

Maia saw her hesitation. "Just a few details, Red. Tell me what you need to, tell me anything that you think is important."

Ruby let out a shuddering breath, trying to calm herself, wondering she was going to say. "I don't know about the condition of the mother or the son, but I know that the daughter was bitten and their father was handled pretty roughly," she said, deciding to go with the bare truth.

Maia ran a hand through her hair. "Normally, at this point I would have asked you if you committed any crimes or did something that you should not have to done to stay undercover. But you've given me a good amount of information, and some things are best left unsaid, especially since you're not an actual cop."

Ruby nodded, agreeing.

"I don't suppose you remember where the faunus house is?" Maia asked hopefully.

Ruby racked her memories, remembering that Emmett had told her to memorize the way. "I can't remember the exact street names," Ruby said at last, smacking herself in the head and hoping that she would remember. "But if we go there I think I could lead you to their house."

"That's great!" Maia said excitedly.

"Not really," Ruby said, frowning. "They'll recognize me."

"That's fine," Maia said, dismissing her concerns. "I'll get you a hoodie or something, and you can just point out their house when we drive by."

Ruby yawned. "So are we done now?"

"Do you have anything else you'd like to add?" Maia asked, putting a hand on the tablet.

"Uh," Ruby said, thinking. "I think Emmett said something about doing this again in a week or so."

"Any specifics?"

"Nope."

"Anything else?"

Ruby shook her head, and Maia stopped recording.

"So are we going to continue to go to the bar every night?" Ruby asked.

Maia nodded. "You need to keep up your appearances so that they'll trust you more when you continue to participate in their activities."

Ruby looked worried. "But what am I going to do at the bar? I don't think I can drink, I don't really have anything to talk about, and I'm not even actually a snake faunus."

"Snake?" Maia asked. "That's what you're going with?"

"Yup. You suggested it to me, remember?"

"Yeah," Maia said, getting up and walking to a cabinet. "I think I can solve your problem."

Ruby got up, going over to Maia. "What do you mean?"

"You said you had nothing to do at the bar, right?" Maia said, rummaging through the cabinet.

"What are you looking for?" Ruby asked, also poking her head into the opening.

"Found it!" Maia said triumphantly, turning and showing her two packs of cards.

Ruby looked confused. "How are those going to help?"

Maia gestured for her to take a seat, tapping the packs on the table and pulling out a deck of cards. "Most people around here pass time by reading books, working, drinking, or playing a variety of games. We're not connected to the global network, so we don't have a lot of electronic leisure activity."

She dealt the cards out, giving Ruby a few and taking some herself, setting the deck in the middle. "A lot of people just meet up at the bar to play cards or dice or any other sort of gambling game."

Maia remembered something, standing up again. "Let me see if I can find the dice," she said brightly, rummaging through the cabinet again.

Ruby groaned, realizing that it was going to be a long night.

* * *

 

**Note:**

**Sorry about the delayed updates, I've been pretty busy and I keep falling asleep in my chair (GAHH) and I then I don't finish writing this. Ugh, I need sleep…**

**Retcon: Mouse faunus' name, Cynthia, was changed to Sharon. I dislike repeating names and I'm not sure why I even put Cynthia as the mouse faunus' name in the first place.**

**Responding to some questions below:**

**About Ruby's rage the last chapter…**

**If you didn't notice, for all her previous encounters, when she had her emotions under control, her targets all froze and stopped moving, or she's been handcuffed and pinned down with a knife in her stomach. Also, Maia took control of the situation when Ruby sneaked in really quickly and professionally, handcuffing her and then slowly backing off, not making any sudden movements, while also talking to her and keeping her lucid. Meanwhile, you have screaming little mice running away from her, and Maia effectively gave her free reign to do whatever she wants under the guise of being undercover. So when Ruby has someone in an authority position, which is Maia, telling her she can do as she pleases, then you're obviously going to have an out-of-control Ruby. Maia hasn't seen her actually do anything. She's only seen an in-control Ruby that she reflexively stabbed, so she's obviously going to be biased toward thinking that Ruby isn't really as bad as the rumors say.**

**Why do mice faunus have guns? Because of the increased crime rates and the mutters about predator faunus getting a little unruly. Also because they've learned that their police force is ineffective, and they want to take things into their own hands. I mean, it worked pretty well for the most part, except for the fact that Ruby basically soaked up all their bullets.**


	50. Another Night in Town

It was nearly morning by the time Maia was done with her.

The rabbit faunus had energetically explained all the rules, tips, and tricks, and what people would do to cheat. She told her what the standard betting amounts were, what happened when cheaters were found out, and so forth.

"So now you'll have something to do," Maia said happily, gathering up the cards.

Ruby groaned. She had fallen asleep a few times, but Maia kept mercilessly shaking her awake. "My head feels like it's going to explode."

"I can't believe you didn't know this game," Maia said, putting the cards away.

"I had other stuff to do," Ruby mumbled, her face on the desk. "What time is it?"

Maia looked up. "Ah, it's six am."

Ruby jolted awake, tumbling out of her chair. "I have to get back to camp!"

Maia stared at for a second. "Oh shit," she said guiltily. "I completely forgot."

"It's okay," Ruby assured her, beginning to strip. "I can make it if I run back."

"Is your stuff still in the basement safe?" Maia asked, standing up and stretching. "I can go get it for you."

Ruby nodded, handing her the key. "Thanks," she said, pulling off her jeans.

She ran to the bathroom, taking off her ruined underclothes and starting up the shower. Popping open the lenses case, she rinsed out the fluid and replaced it, then took off her contact lenses and dropped them inside.

The shower was already hot, Ruby immediately soaping herself and scrubbing her hair. The black dye came out easily, rivulets of dark pigment going down the drain.

The door creaked open. "Here're your clothes," Maia said, dropping them on the floor. "The keys are in the pouch."

"Thanks," Ruby called out, the door clicking shut.

She stepped out of the shower half a minute later, looking around for a towel. Maia had put a fluffy white one on top of her clothes, so Ruby gratefully picked it up and began wiping herself dry.

Wiping down the mirror and checking it one more time to make sure she looked normal, she put on her tattered combat skirt, pinning the cape to it and wrapping steelsilk around herself. Yanking her belt up and securing her weapon, she stomped on her boots and ran out of the bathroom.

"Seeya, Maia!" Ruby called, leaping onto the windowsill and grabbing the overhang.

Maya waved from the counter. "Stay safe! Message me when you get back!"

Ruby flipped herself onto the roof, unfolding her scythe and wrapping the end with steelsilk. Checking for guards, she threw it up into the wall and scaled the wooden structure. Stepping on top of her scythe, she jumped, clearing the wide walkway and soaring into the air, ripping her scythe out of the wall as she flew up.

Having reached the maximum height of the trajectory of her flight, she fell back down the other side, flaring her aura and slamming feet-first into the packed snow. She dissipated the impact by turning her momentum into a forward roll, coming up on two feet and immediately beginning to run.

Her feet sank only slightly into the frozen snow, allowing Ruby to reach the edge of the clearing quickly. Finding her previously trodden path, she swiftly ran back to her campsite, keeping an eye out for her beowolves.

By the time she reached camp, she hadn't seen any of her Grimm.  _They're probably asleep_ , Ruby reasoned, deciding not to worry about them. Sliding into the clearing, she breathed a sigh of relief, looking up at the pale blue sky.

Now that she had made it in time, she relaxed, immediately feeling tired from the long day and the events of past few hours. Her body demanded rest, the healing taking its toll, so Ruby sat down in her tent, wrapping her cloak around herself and quickly falling asleep.

* * *

Her dreams were filled with amorphous black shapes that eclipsed nearly all of the light, the darkness slowly surrounding her.

And then the sound of her name woke her up.  _You have got to be kidding me_ , Ruby thought to herself.

"Red!"

Ruby raised her head up blearily, the sun barely shining through the opening at the top of the tent.

 _Maybe they'll go away if I don't answer them_.

"We know you're there!"

Ruby groaned. "Do you need anything?" she yelled back.

They were silent for a moment, surprised that they had received a response.

"I told you this was a stupid idea," she heard someone mutter. "Shut up," hissed another voice. "Do you want to eat or not?"

"We heard that you can give us protection outside of New Haven," came the voice again.

Ruby sighed, standing up and popping her joints. Her torso felt a little stiff, the muscles having healed together tightly, so Ruby rotated her back, stretching.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," Ruby said, zipping open the tent and stepping outside.

The pale sunlight barely affected her vision, allowing her to see a small group of five predator faunus standing in her clearing. They wore simple cloaks and were dressed in warm clothing, three of them holding rifles in their hands while two held compound bows. The ragtag group didn't look like the hunters Vincent had mentioned, their lack of uniforms and their mismatched weapons giving them away.

She could identify two of them being some sort of cat, one of them being a type of canine, while the other two were recognizable as large-eared foxes.

Upon seeing the swirl of red step out of the tent, one of the predators instinctively raised his rifle, aiming down the sights at her.

"Stop that," a cat-eared one scolded, slapping the dog-eared one's weapon down.

Ruby wasn't sure what types of cats or dogs there were, their ears in some vaguely familiar exotic shape she couldn't exactly pin down.

"So, uh, did Vincent send you?"

"No," the dog-eared one immediately responded.

"Please shut up already," the cat-eared one groaned. He sighed, rubbing his head. "No, we weren't, but you're supposed to be helping all of us, aren't you?"

"I guess so," Ruby admitted. "What do you guys want?"

"Guard us while we're hunting," the cat proposed.

Ruby thought for a second. "Wait, aren't you guys supposed to be staying in New Haven?"

"Told you this was a bad idea," the dog repeated. The cat kicked his shin.

"Well, maybe if you tell me why you five are out here I can decide whether to help you," Ruby suggested.

The cat faunus let out a sigh. "We're sick of eating grain and vegetables," he said. "And we don't have enough money to buy more meat."

Ruby pointed to a mound of snow. "I have some frozen bear meat there, if you want any," she offered.

They looked at each other. "How much do you have, and how old is it?"

Ruby walked toward the pile. "It's been about a day or so. Let me check."

They backed away from her, staying out of her arm reach as she passed by them. Ruby swept away the snow, revealing the two bundles of tarp underneath.

She opened them up one by one. "This one's the leftover organs," Ruby pointed out. "And this one has the meat."

They immediately fell into discussion, the dog faunus insisting that he wanted to go back while the others talked about the dangers of accepting meat from an unknown human, mentioning her reputation a few times. A minute later, they stepped back, allowing the cat faunus to speak.

"The amount of meat you have isn't enough," he stated. "And no offense, but we don't want to take your supplies."

Ruby nodded. "No problem," she said. "Are we going to go hunting now?"

The cat nodded, motioning for her to follow them. "We're going to areas frequented by previous hunting expeditions. We've brought some bait, so we're going to need you to keep lookout and protect us while we're out there."

Ruby felt a little hungry. "Should I bring some food? I haven't eaten breakfast yet."

"We'll be back around noon, so it's your decision."

Ruby decided that eating raw meat in front of strangers probably wasn't a good idea, so she decided to resist her hunger.

"I'll be fine," she assured the cat.

He nodded, taking the lead as he led the group through the forest.

"So why don't you have enough money to buy more meat?" she asked the dog.

The dog looked nervously at the cat, then decided to answer. "It's expensive, and we don't have steady jobs," he explained. "Bread and other vegetables are a lot cheaper."

"The town leader gives us a tiny amount of money," the cat interrupted. "He thinks we can live on  _plants_ ," he snarled, emphasizing the last word.

"Can't you?" Ruby asked.

"It's against our nature," he hissed. "The amount of money he gives us is enough if all we ate were  _plants_. If we use that money to buy meat, we'll starve."

This random hunting trip finally made sense to Ruby. "I understand," she said, nodding.

They walked at a fast pace for half an hour, threading through the trees. The faunus were too nervous to talk, so the silence wore on Ruby's mind, making her extremely bored.

She spoke up. "So what do I call you guys?"

The cat faunus glanced at her, shushing the dog faunus. "No names," he declared. "I don't want to get us in trouble with Vincent."

"Okay," she responded, frowning a little.

She wondered if she should continue to help them. Vincent could get mad at her for giving them assistance, which was an issue, but she did tell herself that she would help the faunus at the settlement in any way possible.

They soon arrived at the hunting spot, pulling open their packs and setting down bait. They took out large bags of corn, scattering it across the ground and throwing a few cobs into the mix. Ruby watched them with interest, wondering if she could emulate their hunting tactics.

They were done in a few minutes, climbing up trees and taking their spots. The cat waved at her, motioning for her to get moving, away from the bait, so Ruby similarly climbed a tree, heading for the very top.

The landscape was mostly white, a few areas dotted with some evergreens. She leaned back against the trunk, her legs dangling off the branch as she watched the world around her. She saw a few shapes moving through the trees, but nothing as dark and definitive as a Grimm.

Remembering that she had to message Maia, she pulled the tablet out of her pouch, swiping it on. Unfortunately, it had no signal, Ruby futilely waving it around before giving up and putting it away.

The wait was boring, Ruby having nothing to do as she looked around her landscape with her rifle scope. She caught sight of a few deer and possibly some rabbits, telling herself to resist the urge to shoot them and get the hunt over with.

As time passed, Ruby wanted to just lay her head back and take a nap, but she forced herself awake, knowing that she had a job to do.

Forty minutes later, a herd of deer passed by the bait, straying off their path and stopping to feed on the pile of corn. Gunshots rang out, Ruby watching from above as the deer scattered. One of them dropped dead, the other injured deer limping away, bleeding. Another arrow hit its chest, and its limbed buckled as it collapsed.

The cat faunus looked up, waving to get Ruby's attention. He motioned for her to come down, so Ruby climbed down the tree, dropping from branch to branch. They were already beginning to tie the deer's limbs together as Ruby hit the ground.

"That was fast," she commented.

The cat faunus shrugged. "The deer usually come near here in the mornings. Did you see any Grimm?"

Ruby shook her head, pulling out her tablet and bringing up the map, noting the location. "Not a single one. By the way, do any of you know Vincent's messaging address?"

The cat looked at her hesitantly.

"I won't tell him about any of this," Ruby promised. "Think of this as my reward or something."

"Why do you need his address?" the cat asked.

"So if he needs to tell me something, he doesn't have to keep sending messengers out to wake me up in the morning." Ruby glared at them. "Besides, if I wanted to tell him about you guys, I could just tell any of the guards."

"He'll know that someone told you," the cat faunus decided, shaking his head. "Go ask one of the guards if you need to talk to him about something."

"Alright," Ruby said, not pushing the issue any further.

"No Grimm at all?" the cat faunus asked, going back to the original topic.

"Nope," Ruby repeated.

"That's odd," he muttered, turning to leave.

The hunters had finished binding the legs of the deer. Each deer was carried by two faunus, one holding the front-end while the other held the back. The corn had mostly been swept up, a few kernels left on the disturbed snow.

Sharing the burden between themselves, they carried the deer back to the edge of the village clearing, the return trip a little longer. Blood flowed out of the deers' wounds, twin trails of red painting the ice.

The moment Ruby was able to see the wall, she immediately took out her tablet and sent a message to Maia, telling her that she was fine and that she had been on a hunting expedition.

"How are you guys going to get those deer into New Haven?" Ruby asked curiously. "You can't just walk in through the main gate, especially since you're not even supposed to be here."

"If we don't tell you, are you going to follow us?"

Ruby grinned. "Yup."

The faunus sighed, his ears twitching in agitation. "There's an auxiliary gate in the back. We have faunus sympathetic to our cause manning the guard towers."

"Huh, I didn't know there was another entrance," Ruby exclaimed, watching as the four faunus carrying the deer began to circle around clearing, staying in the tree line.

"If I'm not mistaken, you have a tablet," the cat stated. "If you want to continue helping us, we can message you if we need any protection."

"Sure," Ruby replied, giving him her address. "If I don't respond, then I'm probably busy with something."

The cat looked at her strangely. "Busy with what?"

"Oh, you know, chopping down trees and… other helpful stuff," Ruby said vaguely.

The cat faunus didn't question her, saying his goodbyes and following his group as they walked away. Ruby immediately headed for a guard tower, hoping to find a guard that would be willing to give her Vincent's address.

It was late in the morning now, the sun hanging high in the sky. The guard rotation was apparently still the same, Ruby first finding the avian faunus she had met previously.

"You again," he said, frowning.

"I just need one thing," Ruby called up. "Then I'll stop bothering you."

"Go on," he said, motioning with his hand.

"Can you give me Vincent's messaging address?"

The guard hesitated.

"This way you guys won't be sent out just to talk to me," Ruby commented. "If Vincent can message me whenever he needs me, I can respond faster, too."

The guard took a moment to decide, finally giving Ruby Vincent's address. "Don't bother him or annoy him with petty issues," the guard warned. "Now stop bothering me."

Ruby was already walking away, head bent over the tablet as she typed out a message to Vincent. She made it clear that he should message her instead of sending people as messengers, reminding him of how efficient electronic mail was and how it was much more convenient.

She got a reply almost instantly, Vincent asking her how she had found out about his address and what she was messaging him from.

_I got your messaging address from a guard. Not his fault, I kept pestering him. I have my own tablet. So can you just message me if you need me?_

He replied immediately.  _Good idea, did not know you had a tablet. I will stick to electronic messages in the future. No hunting this weekend._

 _Thanks_ , Ruby simply responded, and put the tablet back into her pouch.

She headed back to her campsite, wanting some food and some sleep before doing anything else. Unwrapping the tarp, Ruby took out the last few scraps of organs, skewering them on a sharp branch and setting them down next to the unlit fire. She grabbed a few logs and some tinder, starting up a fire and placing the meat over it.

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, the meat had finally thawed out, so Ruby grabbed the organs and devoured them. Wiping her mouth with snow, she lay down on the ground, immediately going to sleep.

* * *

Ruby woke up as the sun was setting, the orange sky peeking through the opening in the tent ceiling. The fire was a pile of ashes now, hours having passed.

Getting up and looking outside her tent, Ruby was surprised to see that her beowolves weren't there. They were usually awake by this time, and if they were awake they always greeted Ruby before going anywhere.

Ruby spent a few fruitless minutes looking around her campsite, checking their usual sleeping places and looking for any signs of them. There were a few tracks, but looked old, the edges of the footprints crumpled. There weren't any signs of their recent kills, nor were there any leftover viscera or blood.

She started to panic a little, wondering if they were dead or lost.  _Or maybe they just left me_ , Ruby thought.  _Maybe that's for the best._ Sitting down, she indulged in a little self-pity, wiping away a few of the tears that leaked out.

The loss was softened by the fact that Ruby hadn't really seen them in a while, but she still felt sad, her movements a little mechanical as she walked back to camp, her heart heavy. By the time she reached her campsite, she had resolved not to bother Maia with this issue. She couldn't rely on beowolves for company forever, and perhaps their leaving signaled the fact that she needed to start moving on with her life.

Pulling out her tablet, she checked it for messages, finding two unread ones from Maia.

The first one was sent two hours or so ago, simply reading  _I'm awake, don't forget about the bar tonight._

The second one read,  _I'm going to call you if you don't wake up by 6_.

Ruby quickly typed a message back, telling her that she was awake and would be heading over shortly. She grabbed the tarp of meat, slinging it over her shoulder and tying it into place with steelsilk.

The added weight made her boots crunch through the snow, slowing her down a little. By the time she reached the wall, it was already dark, the sun having dropped below the horizon.

Making sure her package was secure, she tightened the bindings a little more before beginning her climb. Her fingers ached, the freshly-healed bones complaining under the load.

Ruby paused before climbing over the parapet, looking and listening for any sign of guards. Having made sure it was safe, Ruby scrambled up, throwing her bundle over the other side of the wall and hearing it thud onto the ground. She followed after it, rappelling down the wall and jumping the last few feet.

Dragging the bundle to the door, Ruby knocked a few times. Maia opened the door almost immediately, looking her over.

"What's that?" Maia asked, stepping aside and ushering her in.

"Bear meat, a hundred pounds of it or so. Can I put it in the storage box?"

Maia looked doubtful. "I don't think that's going to fit, Red."

"I'll cut it up," Ruby proposed. "And then I can stuff it in."

"You can try," Maia said, opening the basement door.

The bundle thumped down the stairs, the steps creaking as Ruby lugged it to the basement. Sliding open another panel on the side of the wall, Ruby revealed a small hollow space that was packed with snow, the pieces of meat she had bought earlier also inside.

Maia had taken advantage of the already cold temperature of the basement, stuffing snow into the box to keep the entire thing below zero. Ruby took out the chunks of flesh, the pieces large and awkward and hard to fit into the box.

Taking out her scythe, Ruby sliced the meat into small sections, stacking the pieces in the storage space and shoving it in. She carved the bones out and left the meat behind, reducing enough of the mass so that Ruby could shove all of the perishable flesh inside.

"There we go," Ruby said happily, picking up the bones and tucking them under her arm.

"What are you going to do with those?" Maia asked, walking back up the stairs.

Ruby thought for a moment. "Can I make soup out of them?"

Maia chuckled. "Why are you asking me?"

They walked into the kitchen, Ruby looking around the cabinets. "Do you have a pot or something?"

Maia handed her a large cast-iron pot, a little dusty from disuse. Ruby spent the next few minutes cutting the bones down and starting up a soup, filling the stove with wood and starting the fire. She rinsed off the pot and added a reasonable amount of water, dropping the bones into it and placing it on the stove. Maia looked a little conflicted about the smell of bone and blood filling her kitchen, her nose twitching a little.

Ruby toweled off her hands, covering the pot with a lid. "So do I just leave this here or what?"

Maia shrugged. "I don't usually cook meat, but I'd imagine that it's like a stew. I think you can just let it cook slowly." She pointed toward the bedroom. "I had to get you new clothes again. Try not to destroy them this time."

The mention of her disguise made Ruby freeze. "Oh crud! I forgot I had a job!"

It took Maia a moment to realize what she meant. "You mean your dishwashing job?"

Ruby nodded. "I thought I would be able to earn some money or something," Ruby said sadly. "I can't believe I completely forgot."

"Didn't you say you had to go hunting in the morning? How were you expecting to hold down a job if Vincent keeps asking you for help?"

"It wasn't Vincent this time," Ruby remembered. "It was just a few carnivores who sneaked out of the other gate. They wanted me to help protect them while they went hunting."

Maia perked up. "Really?" she asked. "Why couldn't they just buy meat?"

"They said that it was too expensive, and that they were sick of eating vegetables all day."

Maia looked thoughtful. "It's true that meat is expensive, but I'm guessing that they didn't have jobs. Did you ask them anything about that?"

Ruby shook her head. "One did say that he couldn't hold a steady job, though."

"Well, some faunus just refuse to work or they're too lazy to work," Maia explained. "Other actually can't find jobs or they turn down the menial jobs that they can find."

"Like being a dishwasher," Ruby concluded, walking toward the bedroom. "Can we stop by their restaurant first? I need to apologize for ditching them, if nothing else."

"Sure," Maia agreed. "You don't want to ruin your reputation before you've even done anything."

Ruby nodded, shutting the bedroom door behind her.

* * *

**Note:**

**Sorry for the late releases, adsfjslfsaklg**

**Doing a lot of fact-checking and stuff to keep my story on track, also falling asleep a lot T.T**

**Umm, hopefully the length of this chapter will make up for a bit. I will try to stay on track. I can promise you guys I won't give up on this story. I will see it through.**

**So read, review, rate, PM me, and so forth, thanks for sticking with me!**


	51. Another Night in Town Pt 2

"First things first," Maia said. "We go to the Gray Wolf."

They were walking into the outskirts of the town, heading in the general direction of the cluster of restaurants. Ruby was wore a thin jacket and jeans, Maia also in her casual wear.

"I think I remember the way," Ruby proclaimed proudly, striding ahead.

"Uh-huh," Maia muttered, following.

Ruby only took four wrong turns before arriving at the restaurant, a mirthful Maia behind her. Ruby didn't mind, happy that she had at least recognized part of the way.

"Where were you trying to go?" Maia laughed.

"Hey, I only came here once," Ruby protested. "I think I did pretty well."

The eatery lay before them, a placard announcing that it was open and a sign advertising an available job position.

Ruby saw the sign, hesitating. "Crud. I think they fired me."

"You'll never know unless you ask," Maia declared, pushing Ruby forward. "Come on, go talk to them."

"Come with me?" Ruby pleaded.

Maia eyed the carnivores in the restaurant, shaking her head. "Not to sound rude, but I'd rather not. You can do this by yourself; how hard can it be?"

Ruby whimpered, slowly walking to the door. "I'm so embarrassed," she whispered.

Maia waved a hand, making a dismissing sound. "Everyone forgets important things once in a while. You'll be fine, I'm sure they'll understand."

Letting out a breath, Ruby grabbed the door handle and pushed it open, walking inside. A few customers were still in the shop, the stragglers just sitting back and making conversation with the people near them. A few turned their heads to glance at her, but quickly looked away, uninterested.

Seeing that no one was paying attention, Ruby quickly walked to Mingan's office, knocking on the door.

"One moment," came the gruff voice.

Ruby backed away a little. Half a minute later, Mingan stepped outside, towering over her in the hallway.

"Rose?" he asked, surprised.

Ruby wanted to hide. "Uh, yeah," she said hesitantly. "Sorry about not coming in today. I was a little busy and I completely forgot. I'll understand if you don't want me anymore…" She trailed off.

Mingan sighed. "I should just fire you and kick you out the door right now," he began, "but if you can agree to get here on time in the future and keep these incidents at a minimum, you can continue working here."

"Thank you," Ruby said, relieved. "I'll get here on time in the future, promise."

Mingan nodded. "Same time, same schedule. Get here by ten tomorrow." He turned to leave.

Ruby remembered something. "Wait," she said. "One more thing."

Mingan turned around, waiting.

"If I notify you in advance, can I take a day off?" she asked. "I mean, I'll only need a day off every few weeks or so. Just to take care of some personal business and, uh, stuff."

Mingan shrugged. "That's fine. We're quite lenient around here. Excused absences are okay, unexcused absences are not."

Ruby thanked him again, then turned around and walked out of the restaurant, heading back to Maia.

"How'd it go?" Maia asked.

Ruby grinned. "I still have a job!"

"Glad you didn't get fired," Maia said. "Now we need to get some dinner."

Ruby agreed wholeheartedly, her stomach a little rumbly. "Are you sure you don't want to try some of the meat back home?"

Maia sighed. "For the last time, no, Red, I don't like how it tastes. And besides, we're already in town. I'm not walking all the way back just to try some dead animal flesh."

"Your choice," Ruby shrugged. "Would you eat it in an emergency?"

Maia started down the road. "Why are we even having this conversation?"

"Come on, would you eat it if you were starving?" Ruby prodded.

The rabbit faunus frowned a little. "I mean, if I had no other options, then yes, I would, I guess. But I'd probably throw up a few times before I got used to it."

"So you  _can_  eat meat," Ruby said triumphantly.

"Just think of us as natural vegetarians. Really picky vegetarians," Maia said exasperatedly.

"Do you avoid eating animals because of ethical reasons?"

"Not really," Maia replied. "They just taste terrible."

They reached the restaurant a while later, the interior brightly lit with hanging Dust lamps. Maia found a table in the corner, the two of them taking the seats. The restaurant was mostly full, some herbivore faunus giving Ruby dirty looks, but Maia's presence stopped them from bothering her.

"Can I see what else is on the menu?" Ruby asked. "A little variety instead of just noodles would be great."

"Says the person who's been living on raw meat for the past few weeks," Maia muttered, handing her the list of food choices.

Ruby picked out an order of roasted vegetables and pasta, Maia ordering her standard fare of noodles. The waiter nodded, writing down their orders and taking the menus away.

Ruby tapped the table, smiling. "Guess what?"

Maia took a sip of tea. "What?"

"I got Vincent to just message me if he needed me for anything."

It took Maia a few seconds to realize the implications of what Ruby had just said. "Does this mean you won't have to panic and sprint back to your camp every morning?"

Ruby bounced her chair. "Yup! Can I live with you now? Like, actually live with you?"

The rabbit felt that this decision should have been more serious, more momentous, but she didn't know how to express it. "I guess so," she conceded. "I mean, we've already been telling everyone that we live together."

Ruby immediately hugged her, Maia almost spilling the cup of tea that she was holding.

She raised a hand. "But before you get too excited, I have a few rules."

Ruby didn't really care. She was just happy to get closer to Maia. "Like what?" she asked, not really listening.

Maia counted her fingers. "Clean up after yourself. Don't use all of the hot water. Don't hog all of the towels. Do your own laundry. If you're going to cook, keep it neat."

"Uh huh," Ruby mumbled, imagining the opportunities their shared housing would bring.

The food arrived, the smell of tomato and cheese greeting Ruby. "I thought that other food was hard to come by," Ruby said, going back to her seat and spooning pasta into her mouth.

Maia elegantly swallowed her noodles, frowning at Ruby. "It is. That's why your food was quadruple the cost of my noodles."

"Oops," Ruby said. "Don't worry, I'm going to pay you back."

Maia nodded. "But as this settlement continues to expand, the amount of crops grown and animals raised will increase, so I expect the food prices to start declining."

As they ate, Maia kept an eye on her watch. "Red-I mean Rose, I'm going to try something different this time."

"Hmm?"

Maia leaned to the side, picking up her messenger bag. "I brought a camera. We're going to stake out the bar and take pictures of the suspects. This way, we can identify exactly who's doing what, and when we go over the photos you can point out the ones you've seen at their hideout."

Ruby pushed the empty plate of pasta to the side, starting on the vegetables. "How are we going to avoid being spotted?"

"We go on the roofs," Maia said, picking up her chopsticks and resuming her meal.

Ruby grinned. "Sounds fun."

"You'll need to meet Emmett later though, so he doesn't get suspicious."

"What about you?"

"Tell him I'm busy with a case or something," Maia said.

Ruby immediately grew a little panicked. "Uh, so I'll be alone again?"

"Oh come on, I've taught you how to play cards and dice. You'll fit right in."

Ruby nervously stroked her hair. "Alright, alright."

Maia drank the rest of her soup, taking out her wallet and paying for the meal.

"I can do this, I can do this," Ruby muttered to herself as she finished her dinner.

* * *

"We start climbing here," Maia announced.

They had stopped at a gray stone building that was a block away from the bar. The streets were silent, most people either home or out getting drunk.

"It's pretty far," Ruby noticed.

Maia grabbed the edge of the window, pulling herself up. "I don't want to risk getting seen while we're getting into position."

Ruby followed her up, sliding her fingers between the cracks in the wall and nimbly throwing herself upwards. Maia flared her aura as she made a particularly large leap, jumping and grabbing a window sill a few feet above her.

As they climbed onto the roof, Ruby noticed that it was quite dark, the moon their only source of illumination.

"Do you have a flashlight?" Ruby asked.

Maia looked at her. "Do you want to be seen?"

"Guess that's a no," Ruby muttered.

"This way," Maia whispered, beginning to run.

Upon reaching the edge of the roof, Maia jumped across the gap, landing and rolling on the next building. Ruby wished she had her scythe with her as the ground flashed by a few stories below.

Two buildings away from the bar, Maia stopped, grabbing Ruby's shirt and pulling her back.

"Do you see that?" Maia whispered.

Ruby shook her head. "I can barely see anything."

The rooftop of the next building was mostly flat, the only thing on it a small structure that led to the stairwell.

Maia pointed toward the small structure. "Look closer."

Ruby looked again, managing to make out an irregularity in one of the wall shadows. Tracing the source, she thought she saw a dark figure huddled against the wall.

"Is that a person?"

Maia nodded. "They're also watching the bar. I think I can make out a pair of binoculars."

Ruby rolled her shoulders, cracking her neck. "I got this," she whispered, immediately running forward, eager to prove herself.

"Wait," Maia hissed. "Damn it."

Ruby's sneakers barely made a sound as Ruby quickly crept to the edge of the roof, jumping and landing in a crouch on the next building.

But the faunus still heard, the shadowy figure scrambling up and beginning to run. Ruby felt her heart pound, the thrill of the hunt spurring her on as she ran even faster.

The small figure turned to look and saw her chasing, the figure beginning to sprint. The edge of the roof quickly came up, the faunus leaping across the gap and landing on the other side, continuing to run. Ruby chased after him, jumping with no hesitation.

Despite the faunus' efforts, Ruby caught up in a few more steps, pulling the small faunus down to the ground and grabbing the faunus' shirt. Ruby pinned its arms to the ground, straddling the its waist as she panted, reveling in the faunus' fear as the it tried to squirm away.

Ruby blinked, looking closer. A set of fox ears greeted her, large green eyes staring into her own.

"Rowan?"

The fox faunus stopped struggling, equally surprised. "Rose?"

Ruby hugged him, the little fox faunus letting out a wheeze. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you," Rowan gasped.

Ruby stopped hugging him, but remained seated on his waist. "Uh, I'm here for something I can't tell you about."

"Rose, get off of me," Rowan pleaded, beginning to struggle again. "You don't understand what's happening. I need to go!"

Ruby shook her head. "Sorry, Rowan. Just wait a second until my friend gets here."

Maia bounded onto the roof, walking towards the two. "You know him?"

Ruby nodded. "He's the busboy at the Gray Wolf."

Maia eyed the fox faunus' small stature, deciding that he wasn't a threat. "Get off of him, Rose. The poor boy is going to suffocate before we get anything out of him."

"You jealous?" Ruby asked, provocatively wriggling her hips and grinning.

Maia groaned. "Just get off of him, Rose."

The fox faunus was blushing as he stood up, wiping his hands on his pants. And then he turned to run, trying to shoulder Ruby aside. Ruby instinctively reached out, grabbing his shirt and hauling him back.

The fox faunus kept struggling, trying to twist out of Ruby's grasp. "I should have just sat on him," Ruby said.

Maia ignored her. "What were you doing on the roof? Where are you trying to go? Why are you in such a hurry? The faster you answer our questions, the faster we'll let you go."

Rowan ignored her, continuing his efforts to escape. Maia sighed, walking forward and standing in front of the fox faunus.

She grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Look at me," she ordered. "Stop moving. If you don't answer my questions, I'm going to have to handcuff you and place you under arrest."

"Can I rough him up?" Ruby asked hopefully. "I can break his arm or something."

Maia pretended to consider it, humming thoughtfully.

"Wait, wait," Rowan squeaked, thinking that Maia was serious. "I'll tell you, okay?"

Maia nodded. "Put him down, Rose."

Ruby was a little disappointed as she set Rowan back onto his feet, dusting off her jacket.

Maia looked expectantly at Rowan. "So?"

"Do you remember Cedric?" Rowan asked Ruby.

Ruby nodded.

"He blackmailed me into spying for him," Rowan confessed. "I'm supposed to look for drunk people and people who travel alone and message Cedric about them."

Maia motioned for him to continue. "What is Cedric doing with the information you're giving him?"

"He didn't tell me, but I think he has some thugs mugging the people I point out to him."

Maia thought for a moment.

"Wait, what kind of blackmail?" Ruby asked.

Rowan looked conflicted. "Can you keep a secret?" Ruby nodded. "He said that he had connections, and that he would…" Rowan choked on a sob, taking a breath before continuing. "He said that he would kill my family, burn down our house, and that no one would do anything about it."

"Yeah, that's probably true," Maia sighed. "Sorry."

Rowan started to cry, tears flowing down his cheeks. "I wasn't supposed to tell anyone," he sobbed. "Please help me."

Ruby hugged his trembling body. "There, there" she whispered. "It'll be fine. I won't tell anyone that you told me, promise."

"We don't tell anyone, and you don't tell anyone you saw us, alright?" Maia asked. "I can't do anything about your situation for now. Just keep doing what Cedric told you to do, and don't put yourself or your family in danger. Trust me, Rose and I are doing the best we can to stop the people behind this."

Rowan nodded, unable to speak, his tears soaking into Ruby's jacket.

Ruby patted Rowan's back. "Do you want Cedric to get into an  _accident_  of some sort? I can take care of him for you."

Maia opened her mouth to object, then thought better of it. "Not a bad suggestion, actually," she admitted. "Vigilante justice usually isn't a good idea, but in this situation…"

"Really?" Rowan asked, looking up at her, his green eyes glimmering with tears. "You can do that?"

"I can try," Ruby said, pushing down her desires. "It's going to be hard, and I don't know if it will change anything."

"Rose is right," Maia agreed. "Even if Cedric dies, his lackeys might continue to blackmail you. But it's better than doing nothing, and we'll be able to eliminate part of the threat."

"Thank you," Rowan murmured reverently, clutching Ruby's jacket.

Ruby carefully pried his arms off before she did something irreversible. "Don't thank me before I even do anything."

It took a few minutes before the fox faunus recovered, Maia carefully watching as the fox faunus jumped back to the previous building.

"What's his name again?" Maia asked, running a hand through her hair.

"Rowan."

Maia turned to face Ruby. "What are the chances that he's lying?"

Ruby looked surprised. "Huh?"

Maia walked across the building, pacing. "That he's double-crossing us, that he made up that story so he could continue working for them but trick us into thinking that he isn't. Or worse, that he's actually just feeding us fake information that they told him to tell us."

Ruby took a few seconds to mull that over. "So you're saying that I should get rid of him?"

Maia cracked a smile. "Are you trying to get hired as my personal assassin?"

"Wait, that sounded really bad," Ruby said quickly, backtracking.

Maia checked her messenger bag, making sure that the camera wasn't damaged. "Let's get our position set up first, and then we can talk."

They moved a few buildings away, glancing back every few steps to make sure that Rowan wasn't watching them. Setting down a tripod, Maia pulled out her camera, a few cables connecting it to another piece of hardware.

Maia pointed at one of the buttons. "If any of us are unable to operate the camera, just hit the button and it'll record video. I don't have enough disk space to record high quality video for long, so only use this in emergencies."

Ruby eyed the equipment. "Uh, how come the camera looks so outdated?"

Maia sighed. "They sent us ancient, shitty equipment," she said, crouching down and adjusting the camera angle. "No one really cares about a police department in the middle of nowhere."

Ruby knelt down beside her. "That sucks."

"Get down," Maia said. "No one actually looks up, but I don't want to take any chances."

They both lay prone on the roof, carefully finding a relatively clean spot where they could keep an eye on the street and remain out of sight. Every few minutes a faunus left or went in, Maia taking photos of the suspicious-looking ones.

"I don't think I recognize a lot of them," Ruby admitted after half an hour. "I need a better look the next time we gather in the safehouse."

"That's fine," Maia said, snapping another shot. "I'm just getting pictures of the people I know about, and I'm getting pictures of Cedric's potential victims, so I can interview them about what happened later. If I can get shots of the criminals walking and talking together, I'll be able to use the photographic evidence to convict them all at once."

Ruby stayed for a few more minutes, not wanting to go to the bar by herself.

"Just go, Red," Maia murmured. "You'll need to socialize like a normal person if you want to fit in."

Ruby let out a breath. "Alright."

"Good luck," Maia whispered.

Ruby walked to the edge of the roof, grabbing the edge and swinging herself down. She eased herself down to the first window, carefully making her way downwards. Twenty feet up, she released her grip, landing in a crouch, a tiny of crust of snow crunching beneath her shoes.

Smoothing out her jacket and brushing off the grit, she patted her hair and began walking toward the bar.

* * *

**Note:**

**Blarghhh chapter up**

**So slow, sorry. I will try to remain on schedule, omg. AP teachers are insane, and the fact that I got a heartstone key doesn't help either… But like I said, I WONT STOP DON'T WORRY**

**So thanks for reading, rate and review, etc :)**


	52. Another Night in Town Pt 3

Ruby stopped outside of the bar, realizing that she didn't have any cash on her. She briefly considered climbing back up to the roof to ask Maia for some money, but Ruby decided that Maia would probably get annoyed if Ruby risked revealing Maia's position.

Besides, she didn't have to drink. She was only here to socialize, and hopefully the lack of money would stop her from doing anything foolish.

Pushing the door open with confidence than she felt, Ruby walked inside, the soft hum of conversation mixed with some shouting immediately washing over her.

Emmett was sitting at an oval table with some other carnivore faunus, the group playing a sort of dice game that seemed similar to what Maia had shown her. Empty glasses littered the table, evidence of previous shots downed.

Ruby tried to nonchalantly sit next to Emmett, wondering how she should greet him. A few of the faunus looked at the newcomer, but after seeing where she sat, they immediately turned their attention back to the game.

Before she could do anything, Emmett saw her and grinned, his large incisors gleaming. "Finally joined us, huh?"

Ruby shrugged. "I guess so."

Emmett eyed her. "I'm surprised to see you up and moving about already, considering the injuries you took."

"It looked worse than it was?" Ruby offered.

"Of course," Emmett said, unconvinced.

Ruby tried to change the topic of the conversation, noticing the dice as they rolled by. "So what are you guys playing?"

Emmett scooped up the dice and dropped them into a wooden cup. "Just bar dice," he said, shaking the cup. "Loser buys drinks for everyone. You in?"

Ruby watched as he threw the dice onto the table, the white squares bouncing and rolling before settling on a number. "I don't have any money with me. I mean, I have a job now, so maybe after the next payday…" she trailed off.

Ruby squeaked involuntarily as Emmett grabbed her waist and scooted her closer to him. "Then you're with me tonight," he laughed, handing her the cup of dice. "Let's test your luck."

Ruby now recognized the game, Maia having taught it to her the previous night. The game consisted of a few rounds, depending on the number of players. Each round's winner was determined by the dice that was rolled, and the winner of the round was able to sit out for the rest of the game. Eventually there would only be two people left, and the loser would have to buy drinks of some sort for rest of the players.

Each round consisted of each person having three rolls, the goal of the game being to match up similar dice in the smallest number of rolls. Ones were wildcards, aces, but otherwise the higher the number the better. After each roll the player could set aside as many dice they wanted, as long as they set aside at least one ace.

Emmett's warm body pressed against her, Ruby took the cup and tossed the dice onto the table, three dice quickly coming to a stop while two rolled around for a bit before settling on a face.

Emmett whistled. "Three ones and two fours. That's pretty damn good."

The other faunus also looked suitably impressed, a few sneaking glances at her. One of them shook her head. "Fifty-four in one, how the hell do we beat that?"

The two ended up winning the round, the game ending with an unfortunate lynx having to pay for the drinks. Emmett took a look at Ruby, who hadn't gotten a drink for winning the round, and ordered a drink for her himself. Ruby wanted to protest, but in truth she was curious as to what an alcoholic beverage would taste like.

The drinks arrived quickly, Ruby's glass filled with some sort of dark-red liquid. Raising it to her nose, she sniffed it, an aroma of berries and citrus coming up from the glass.

"Go on, it won't hurt," Emmett urged, noticing her hesitation. "It's just sangria."

Gathering up her courage, Ruby took a gulp, expecting some sort of burning, bitter sensation. But the fruity wine tasted more like juice, with only a slight bite of alcohol beneath the thick sweetness. Encouraged, she took another swallow, a mild buzzing sensation filling her.

The dice game started up again, Ruby and Emmett alternating throws. The group opened up more as the night wore on, the alcohol lowering their inhibitions. The duo only lost once, Emmett good-naturedly paying for a round of drinks.

The hours passed in a blur as Ruby finished her drink, Emmett ordering her another one. Sometime during the night they switched to a card game, Ruby continuing to play with Emmett.

"Where's Maia?" Emmett asked offhandedly, shuffling the deck of cards.

It took Ruby a few moments to respond to his question. "Uhh, she said that she had a case to work on," Ruby said, repeating what Maia had told her.

He paused for a fraction of a second, resuming his normal movements so quickly that Ruby thought she might have imagined it. "That's a shame," he commented, dealing the cards. "Her company was always a pleasure."

Ruby's inebriated mind thought nothing more of the odd event as she took another sip of her drink, looking down at the cards that they held.

* * *

They stayed late into the night, the weekend hours keeping the faunus at the bar longer than usual, but eventually it came to an end. People started leaving the bar in groups, the faunus walking home together, some leaning on others for support.

Ruby could barely stand as the two of them got up from the table. Her mind fuzzy and her legs a little wobbly, she nearly tripped over her own feet, relying on Emmett to keep her upright.

The jaguar faunus handed her a small tablet. "Call Maia," he said. "I like you, but not enough carry you all the way home."

Ruby nodded, taking the phone and dialing Maia's number. She still had enough sense to walk a good distance away from Emmett, slumping against the wall and tilting the tablet's screen so Emmett couldn't see it.

After a few rings, Maia's face appeared on the screen, her image blurry in the dark lighting.

"Ruby?"

Ruby cupped her hand around the speakers, trying to keep the conversation private.

"Hey Maia," she slurred. "Pick me up?"

Maia nodded. "Give me a while. I need to pack up the stuff, check on Rowan, and pretend that I just walked from home. Will you be ok?"

Ruby nodded, the simple motion nearly making her lose her balance. "I can sit inside and wait for you," Ruby mumbled.

The camera view shifted as Maia began packing up her equipment. "Alright," she said. "Stay safe. I'll come for you as soon as possible."

Ruby smiled, giving her a drunken wave before ending the call.

Stumbling back over to Emmett, she handed him the tablet. "Thanks."

Emmett tucked it back into his pocket. "Not a problem," he said. "I've got to go now. Take care of yourself."

Ruby just sat down and leaned back in the chair as she watched him leave, walking away on steady steps. Her head lolled back in her seat as she considered her plight.  _I should drink more,_  Ruby thought to herself, giggling.  _Then I wouldn't get as drunk the next time._

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the bartender leave his counter, opening a door in the back and stepping inside.

The room suddenly felt oppressive, the air feeling stuffy and uncomfortably warm. Looking around, Ruby saw that the tables around her were empty, the faunus she had been playing with already gone. In fact, the whole bar seemed to be empty, Ruby having sat there for longer than she thought.

Wondering if the alcohol was making her paranoid, Ruby tried to stand up, only to find herself being shoved onto the ground, a chair smashing into her head before her dulled nerves could react.

Two hulking shapes filled her blurry vision. "Where do you think you're going, huh?"

Ruby tried to talk, but her jaw felt out of place, bones shifting in the side of her head, blood running down her cheek. The next time the chair was swung at her, she flared her aura and raised her arms, trying to grab the chair. The wood shattered on her forearms, one of the faunus swearing as he saw the dark red tint around her.

And then a reddish-green color filled her vision, the aura the color and consistency of mud. Ruby could barely move as the aura swamped over her body, immobilizing her limbs and crushing her chest. Her lungs started burning as she tried to draw a breath, the aura compressing her thoracic cavity.

One of the two faunus grunted in satisfaction as he strained, sweating beginning to drip down his forehead as he kept up the pressure. Ruby felt her joints begin to move out of place, her aura dimming as it was slowly worn away. A few of her thinner bones began to crack and fracture, bending under the stress.

"That's enough," one of the voices cautioned. "We're just sending a message."

One of the blurry shapes shook his head. "Didn't you see how Emmett clung to her all night? Sending a message isn't enough, we need to scare that fucker."

"Then hurry up, before anyone gets back. We paid off the bartender, but that doesn't stop anyone else from coming in."

Ruby felt her ribs beginning to give away as the pressure increased, the man clenching his fists as he focused. With a final burst of aura, she tried resisting again, a glow of red briefly overpowering the muddy aura.

And then both lights faded, one of the men stumbling and bracing himself on the table, gasping.

The other one sighed. "You moron," he said, bending down and rolling up his pant legs. "Why would you try that on an aura user? Now I have to finish her off."

He slid a handgun out of his ankle holster, racking the slide and loading a round. Ruby was still on the ground, desperately trying to push herself up. She felt her head slam back into the ground as a boot stomped onto her neck, holding her in place. The man held the gun against her forehead, taking careful aim.

A gunshot echoed across the room. The faunus' body suddenly collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, Ruby jerking her head out of the way as his body fell to the ground. It took Ruby a moment to realize what had happened as the blood poured out of a hole in his head.

A cry of pain drew her attention away from the corpse. Ruby blinked her eyes as she watched the other man collide with a table, the wood cracking as his unconscious body hit the ground.

Maia's worried face filled her vision. "I think I got here just in time," she said quickly, breathing a little heavily. "You okay?"

It took Ruby a moment to catch her breath. "I'm fine," she assured her, her voice a little raspy.

Maia helped her sit up, Ruby beginning to put her dislocated wrists back into place. "You should probably go handcuff the guy or something," Ruby pointed out.

Maia nodded, taking one more glance at her before pulling out her handcuffs. "Do you know these two?"

Ruby shook her head, rolling her shoulders and feeling the fractured bones moving back into place. "Do  _you_  know them? Are they famous criminals?"

Maia handcuffed the bison faunus, pulling out her tablet. "Nope," she said, shaking her head. "This whole thing is gonna be a bitch once people find out about it. Herbivores will follow their example and start attacking, carnivores are going to grow paranoid and start hurting even more people…"

She swiped the tablet open, punching in numbers.

"What should I do?" Ruby asked. "Will I need to testify? What if the council member recognizes me?"

Maia shrugged. "This is an open and shut case, considering that I was here and saw them attacking you. And like I said, the council members don't even take any interest in these incidents, and the carnivores on the police department will keep this thing mostly quiet. The only problem is that the friends and families of these two will start raising a ruckus."

The bison began struggling, apparently having woken up. "I want a lawyer," he demanded.

Maia scoffed. "Where do you think we are?" she asked. "Shut up, I need to make a call."

A few rings later, someone picked up, a voice coming through the tablet. "What's going on, Maia?"

"I have one dead, one handcuffed at Porfirio's bar. I witnessed the pair assaulting a snake faunus. One had a gun to her head so I shot him, the other I subdued and subsequently handcuffed. Victim has minor injuries. Send a motorcycle and a transport vehicle."

The voice chuckled. "What the hell have you been doing, Maia? Alright, they'll be there soon. ETA five minutes."

The call ended, silence suddenly filling the room. The bison turned his head, snorting angrily at the two. His eyes widened as Ruby finally stood up, stretching her arms and legs and massaging her mending bones.

"I crushed you," the bison spluttered. "I broke your bones, I nearly tore you apart. How are you standing?"

Ruby scratched her head, looking at the ceiling and trying to think of an excuse. "Maybe you're weaker than you thought," she suggested. "I, uh, I was faking it too."

"I felt it!" he said angrily. "Stop lying!"

"Shut up already," Maia interrupted. "Anything you say will be used against you. Also, I just recorded that."

The bison's eyes bulged, a vein throbbing dangerously in his temple. "Why are you helping these creatures?" he spit out. "We should be working together to stop these killer carnivores. Are you also blind to what they've been doing? Or are you just ignoring them like all those other fucking corrupt police officers?"

Maia sighed. "You picked the wrong person to attack," she said, shaking her head.

A light of understanding came into the bison's eyes as he saw how Ruby looked at Maia. "Oh, so you're sleeping with the little meat-eater," he sneered. "Tell me, how is she in-"

Maia punched him, his head whipping around and his body slumping to the floor. "Oops," she said unconvincingly. "Must have hit him a little too hard."

Ruby laughed, smiling.

A truck arrived a few minutes later, a badger faunus jumping out of the driver seat and walking to the back of the truck. The bison was awake again, looking surly, a bruise forming on his jaw. Maia waited with the handcuffed faunus as the badger pulled a motorcycle out of the back, walking it to the entrance of the bar.

"Thanks for bringing the stuff, Gerald," Maia said, pulling the prisoner along with her. "Can you handle this fella? He's got some sort of aura that lets him squish people. He's out of juice for now, but I don't know how long it'll take for him to get back on his feet."

"Not a problem," Gerald grinned, turning his attention on Ruby. "Is this her?"

Maia nodded. "Her name's Rose. She's a close friend and she lives with me. Rose has a few mild injuries, so I'm going to escort her back home and get her settled down."

Gerald whistled. "That's a mighty fine coincidence," he said, shoving the prisoner into the back of the truck and slamming the doors closed. "The investigators will be on the scene soon, do you mind waiting for them? You know how slow they are, especially when you wake them up at this time of the night."

"I can wait for a few minutes," Maia agreed. "Especially since you brought the motorcycle."

"Great," the badger exclaimed. "See ya later, Maia."

The two watched as the truck drove off, the single vehicle driving down the road.

"So why did you tell him?" Ruby asked. "I mean, the fact that we're living together."

Maia sat down on the motorcycle, motioning for her to take a seat next to herself. "To get your reputation established, of course. Once we get more people to know you, you'll be less suspicious. You don't want to seem out of place and unusual. If it's known that you're living with me, people will have less questions when they meet you."

"That makes sense," Ruby said, a little disappointed.

"Are you okay?" Maia asked, staring intently at her. "I heard some bones break back there, and I'm pretty sure he was suffocating you. For a second, I thought I was too late."

Ruby wiped away the blood on the side of her face. "Like I said, I'm fine. I don't think anything was completely broken."

Maia had a strange expression on her face. "I see," she murmured, pulling out a handkerchief and carefully helping Ruby wipe away the blood.

The sensation of Maia's fingers lightly brushing her skin sent shivers through Ruby, making her squirm a little, but she tried to hold still, delighting in the little shocks that ran down her spine.

It was over all too soon, Maia pulling back and standing up, beginning to pace.

"What happened?" Maia asked. "Did they take you by surprise?"

Ruby nodded. "I think I had a little too much to drink," she admitted.

Maia stopped, looking at her. "Wait, I didn't give you any money."

"Emmett paid for my drinks. We played cards and stuff, and he was actually pretty nice the whole time."

Maia hummed thoughtfully. "Just stay on guard when you're with him, alright? Remember, he's one of the ringleaders behind the whole slew of faunus attacks."

"I won't forget," Ruby promised.

A grin spread across Maia's face. "So how was your first time drinking?"

"I guess it was alright," Ruby admitted. "I think I'm still a little, uh, tipsy. I might have drunk too much."

"Drink a lot of water," Maia advised. "Or else you're going to wake up with a nasty hangover."

Ruby nodded. "I'll do that when we get home. Can you check the time? I still have to go work tomorrow."

Maia checked her watch. "It's nearly 3AM. But don't worry, the investigators will be here soon, and with the motorcycle we won't have to walk all the way back home."

Maia returned to sitting on the motorcycle, letting Ruby lean on her. Ruby gratefully snuggled up against Maia, already feeling sleepy.

"Maia?'

"Yes?"

"Do you feel bad about killing that person?"

"Not really," Maia said softly, stroking Ruby's hair. "It's kill or be killed, and he was going to shoot you, so it wasn't a hard choice to make. Besides, in the neighborhood I used to live in, we had to make these choices all the time."

"But do you think that what you did was wrong? Does it make you a bad person?"

Maia took a moment to respond. "I don't think that taking a life is a good thing, Red. But if I help more people than I hurt, then I don't think that I'm a bad person."

Ruby sighed happily, a little comforted. "I like that," she said, lapsing into silence.

The two of them sitting on the motorcycle, illuminated by the solitary street lamp, Ruby dozed off, her head resting on Maia's shoulder as she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Note:**

**Totally sorry about the delays, spent the past few days building three bridges for physics and writing some essays. During the coming break I'll have to fill out six college applications along with their supplementals, but I'll hopefully be able to adhere to a more standard schedule XD**

**So yeah, I'll try to update more frequently now, so sorry.**

**Thanks for reading, please review and comment, feel free to PM me :D**


	53. The First Night

"Come on, wake up."

Someone was softly shaking her shoulder, trying to nudge her awake. For a second, Ruby was drawn back to a more innocent time, when friends would rouse her from nightmares and make her forget about the dreams.

The illusion was shattered as Maia shook her again. "Sorry Rose, but the investigators want a few statements before they'll let you go."

"Sure," Ruby said, yawning and blinking.

Maia helped her off of the motorcycle, walking her to the waiting investigator. The fox faunus had a notepad out and was waiting patiently. Ruby looked back at the restaurant and saw a group of faunus setting up crime scene tape and snapping pictures.

The fox faunus nodded to Ruby."Can you please describe the circumstances of your attack?"

Ruby scratched her head. "Well, I mean, there wasn't much going on. I think everyone left, so it was only me in the bar, and then those two attacked me."

"Did you provoke them in any way?"

Ruby shook her head. "I don't know them and I don't think I've even seen them around here before. I was just sitting there, and one of them pushed me to the ground and I think the other one hit me with a chair."

The fox waved with his hand. "Can you describe what happened in greater detail?"

"Well, they hit me with the chair a few times, and then one of them tried using his aura to suffocate me or something. It, uh, didn't work, and I'm mostly okay right now. And then he got tired, so the other guy pulled out a gun and was about to shoot me when Maia arrived."

"And then I shot the man with the gun in the head," Maia continued. "Afterwards, I subdued the other one and handcuffed him. I'll write up a more detailed report tomorrow, I need to get Rose home right now."

The fox scribbled on his notepad. "That's good enough for now," he said, turning to Ruby. "Ma'am, I promise you that we'll do all we can to bring these criminals to justice," he assured her. He clearly wanted to say more, but Maia was standing right there, a bemused expression on her face.

The fox faunus tipped his hat, then turned and walked into the bar.

"This is going to get ugly," Maia noted, walking to the bike.

"What do you mean?"

Maia pulled the two helmets off the bike, handing one to Ruby. "I'll explain more when we get home, but if you haven't noticed yet, the entire investigative team is made up of carnivorous faunus."

"Uh-oh," Ruby realized, putting on her helmet.

Remembering to keep her hands in an appropriate place this time, Ruby tightly grabbed Maia's waist and pressed against her, taking in her warmth and familiar smell. Maia sped all the way home, the empty streets allowing her to drive faster than speed limits would normally allow.

The arrived home in a few minutes, the purring of the Dust-powered engine abruptly coming to a stop as Maia pulled out the keys. Maia opened the door to the house, eyeing the width of the doorway.

"Let's get this inside," she said, grabbing the handlebars. "I don't want to leave it out here, just in case something happens to it."

"Good idea," Ruby said, grabbing the back wheel.

The two of them lifted the motorcycle up, Maia angling the handlebars as they carefully lifted it above the doorstep and squeezed it into the house, setting it down a corner of the room. Ruby shut the door behind them, blocking out the cold, as Maia flicked the lantern on and illuminated the house.

Taking off her helmet, Maia shook out her ponytail and rubbed her ears. "Back to what I was saying- those faunus were all carnivores. They're definitely going to use this attack as justification to create an even larger divide between the herbivores and the carnivores."

"Crud crud crud," Ruby muttered. "What should I do?"

Maia set the helmet down on the table, beginning to take off her parka. "We're just going to have to step it up. Now that you know the city better, try to remember the way to their safehouse. I'm going to see if I can get in touch with the city guards and get them to help me raid the compound."

"I could get Mark to help us," Ruby offered. "He's a snake faunus, and the maybe he could bring some friends…"

Maia shook her head. "Think, Red. Do you really want to take the chance that he's one of the good ones? Not to mention the fact that he might tell other people about your new identity. And to be honest, I don't know how I feel about bringing a carnivore into our little group."

Ruby sighed. "Awww, okay. I just sort of wanna meet up with him again."

Ruby looked so dejected that Maia had to give her a hug, ruffling her hair. "Trust me, Red, this is for the best. The guards are much more reliable, and they can fight well. After all of this blows over, we can go find Mark, alright?"

The hug immediately made her happier, Ruby taking the chance to bury her head in Maia's chest, under her chin. "Alright," Ruby agreed, her voice a little muffled.

Maia pushed gently pushed Ruby away, glancing at the clock. "And it's time for you to get some sleep. You still have a job to do tomorrow morning, remember?"

Ruby looked at her expectantly, clenching her hands in excitement. "So we'll need to share a bed, right? Because you only have one bedroom?"

Maia smirked. "Nice try, Red. But this house has a guest bedroom." She pointed toward the bathroom and continued talking before Ruby could say anything. "There's an extra toothbrush by the sink. You should take those contacts out and wash the blood out of your hair before going to bed. I'm going to go make some tea, do you want any? You're going to need to drink a lot of fluids or else you'll have a nasty hangover tomorrow."

"Sure," Ruby said reluctantly. "Could I buy some other drinks sometime? Maybe stuff we could store in the basement, like some, uh, drinks, or something?"

Maia raised an eyebrow. "Are you an alcoholic now? After just one night of drinking?"

Ruby quickly shook her head. "N-no, nothing like that. I was just wondering if I could get anything to drink besides tea…"

Maia walked over to the sink, checking the pot on the stove. "Water is the best alternative, Red. It's good for you and it's cheap. If you want to drink, wait until we're at the bar." She lifted the lid of the pot, making as face as she sniffed the contents. "What are you going to do with this, ugh, soup? If you can call it that."

"Oh crud, I nearly forgot," Ruby said, hurrying over to the stove. "How does it look?"

"Terrible. I wouldn't trust it if I were you."

Ruby looked into the pot, seeing that the congealed mess looked incredibly unappetizing, the soup more solid than liquid. "You're probably right," she admitted, grabbing the pot handles. "Lesson learned: I shouldn't fill the entire pot with bones and try to make soup with them. So what should I do with this?"

Maia pointed outside. "The garbage collectors come once a week, so just dump the stuff in a bag and toss it into the trash bin outside."

Ruby complied, taking out a trash bag from under the sink and dumping the mess into it. The trash bins were at the side of the house, Ruby dropping the bag inside and replacing the lid. By the time she got back inside, Maia was already boiling water and beginning to add the tea leaves to the kettle.

"Go shower," Maia said, pointing toward the bathroom. "The tea will be ready before you're done. Maybe I can get you to like it if I make you drink enough of it."

Ruby made a  _bleh_  face. "Probably not," she said as she began heading toward the bathroom.

She flicked on a strategically placed lantern, lighting up the hallway so she could see where she was going.

She looked inside the closet, noticing that there was a fresh pile of towels inside. "How do you always have so many clean towels around?" Ruby shouted.

"I do my own laundry," Maia called back. "That reminds me, I'll show you where the laundromats are tomorrow."

Ruby stepped into the bathroom, turning on another light and undressing herself before entering the turning on the water and stepping in. The shower was nice and warm, her slightly aching bones welcoming the heat as her muscles relaxed. By the time she was done showering and brushing her teeth, Ruby was ready to collapse and fall asleep almost anywhere.

She stumbled into the kitchen, wrapped in nothing but a towel as she sat down at the table. Maia slid Ruby a cup of tea, engrossed in her tablet as she checked the latest police reports. She was dressed in a bathrobe, her hair still in a ponytail as she took another sip of tea.

Ruby perked up as Maia began to speak. "Like I predicted, those idiots are saying that this is the work of herbivore criminals. This whole settlement is going to shit even sooner than I expected." She sighed. "But I'm still going to have to play along with them and pretend that I belong."

"Do you have any friends or family in the settlement?" Ruby asked.

Maia shook her head. "Not really, no. It's probably a good thing that I barely even interact with other rabbits, and the only people I really know outside of the police force are the owners of the restaurant we go to. So I guess that makes this more bearable, although I'm going to patrol the restaurant more often in case something bad happens."

Ruby nodded, the two sitting in silence as Maia finished her tea and Ruby tried to enjoy her own cup of tea. After a few more minutes, Maia stood up, gulping down the rest of her drink and bringing the mug to the sink.

Ruby stared at Maia's bare neck as she washed the cup, wondering what her smooth skin felt and tasted like.

Maia yawned. "I'm really tired and I need to go take a shower. There's an extra set of blankets in the closet, and I put the clothes I bought into your dresser."

"Thanks," Ruby said absentmindedly, drooling a little as Maia let down her hair and began to untie her bathrobe.

"Good night, Red," Maia said, walking down the hallway.

Ruby got up after Maia closed the bathroom door, washing her mug in the sink and setting it upside-down on the counter to dry. She took the blankets out of the closet and walked to the guest room, looking inside. There was single window, a set of closed shutters over it. A bed was placed up against the wall, a dresser at the foot of the bed with a lantern on top of it. The rest of the small room was bare, Maia clearly having received few guests since her moving in.

Ruby set her towel down on the dresser and opened it up, flicking on the light and rummaging around. After going through the whole dresser, she had selected a gray tank top and gray shorts. Unfolding the blankets, she set them down on the bed and turned off the light before sliding under the covers.

Closing her eyes, she tried to go to sleep, but the image of Maia wearing nothing but a bathrobe kept returning to her mind. The sound of running water also kept her awake, her imagination conjuring scenes of Maia completely naked and covered in soapy water.

She was still awake when the shower stopped, Ruby listening closely as Maia stepped into the hallway and went to her own room, shutting the door.

An hour passed before Ruby felt it was safe. Carefully sneaking out of her room, she stealthily turned the doorknob and opened Maia's door, gazing at Maia's sleeping figure. The rabbit was bundled in blankets, her breathing unchanging as Ruby crept closer.

Ruby wanted to touch her, her finger's twitching a little, but she didn't want to wake her up. Gently sitting down on the bed, she lowered herself onto the bedcover, trying not to disturb the blanket. Hoping that Maia was too tired to wake up, she curled up on top of the bed, near Maia but not touching her.

Ruby slept like for the rest of the night, Maia's presence leaking into her dreams.

* * *

Ruby woke up to the sound of an alarm clock ringing. Wearily glancing to the side, she managed to get her arms out of the blanket around her and jab at the piece of black metal until it turned off. A bit of sunlight was leaking through the shutter as Ruby replaced the alarm clock and sat up.

_Blanket?_

Ruby looked down, surprised to find the thick comforter wrapped around her. Maia was already gone, a small piece of paper left on her pillow. Ruby picked it up and read it, smiling.

_I'm off to run some errands, you little creeper. I set the alarm for you. Keys are on the table, lock the door when you leave. Don't do anything stupid and stay safe. – Maia_

Folding up the piece of paper, Ruby checked the time and saw that it was already eight-thirty. Quickly walking to the bathroom, she found her clothes from the previous night and took out the jeans, the long-sleeved top, and the jacket that was permanently stained with her blood. Her boots were outside the bathroom door, and she paused to grab them too.

The jeans were still wearable so she put them on, taking the opportunity to brush her teeth and wash her face. She sprayed her hair black and put in her contacts, wondering if she should get a haircut sometime. Walking back to her room, she found a clean white t-shirt and a pair of white socks, which helped make herself look presentable for work.

The note was still in her pocket as she walked down to the basement, pulling out the key to the safe and unlocking the steel box. She unwrapped her cloak, finding that her belongings were all still there. Taking the opportunity, Ruby took out her weapon and unfolded it, swinging it around carefully in the low basement before returning it to the safe. Maia's note went into her pouch, a treasured belonging that she would always cherish. She took the tablet out of the safe, noticing that it was nearly out of power and needed recharging.

After relocking the safe, she went back upstairs and searched the cabinets, wondering if there was any food. Her body was a little hungry from the injuries sustained the previous night, but there wasn't any food in the cabinets, so she took a few pieces of meat from the basement and heated them over the stove. While the meat was warming, she opened a window and set the tablet on the countertop, letting it recharge while she cooked.

It was already nine-thirty by the time Ruby was done eating. She quickly washed her mouth and did the dishes, scrubbing the pan she had used with cold water and leaving it to dry on the counter. Toweling her hands, she made sure she had everything on her and grabbed the keys off of the table, locking the door as she exited like Maia told her to. The tablet was still too bulky to fit in her pocket, but she didn't have a purse or anything similar to carry it in, so she left it behind.

The sun was shining more brightly today, but the weather was still chilly. Ruby didn't really mind the cold as she ran down the road and toward the center of town while only wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

It was nearly ten by the time she got the Gray Wolf, having only made a single wrong turn on the way there. Rowan was already inside setting up the plates and napkins in anticipation of arriving customers.

Ruby pushed the door open and stepped inside. "Hey there, Rowan."

He turned at the sound of her voice, a grin spreading on his face. "Hi Rose!"

Ruby walked up to him, giving him a hug. "How are you doing?" she whispered. "Did anything happen last night?"

Rowan shook his head. "I'm okay," he said. "Everything went normally. Thanks for offering to help me."

"Not a problem," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Just keep doing what they tell you to do, and I'll see what I can do to help you."

At that moment Mingan stepped out of his office, tapping his tablet closed and setting it on the counter. "Glad you're here on time. There are some dishes from last night that need to be cleaned, and after that we're going to start prepping for the lunch rush."

Ruby nodded and headed toward the kitchen, rolling up her sleeves and grabbing an apron off of the counter. As she cleaned she heard the other employees arrive, greeting Mingan as they entered the kitchen. They started preparing a variety of food, taking things out of the refrigerators and the storeroom and chopping and boiling and mixing.

The smell of meat and spices filled the kitchen as Ruby finished the dishes. She wiped her hands dry, leaving the apron on as she made her way to the dining room. Rowan was sitting off the side and taking a break as customers began to come in. She sat down next to him, watching as the customers seated themselves and the waiters came over to take orders.

"So now what?" Ruby asked.

Rowan shrugged. "I usually just clear the dishes and bring them to the sink," he said. "Maybe you should just man the sink and wash everything that comes in. We can switch off whenever you feel like it."

"That sounds good," Ruby agreed. "So do you know when we get out paychecks?"

Rowan took a moment to respond, caught off-guard by her question. "Err, we get them on Fridays. You weren't here last Friday, so I don't think you'll get one until this Friday. Why do you want to know?"

"I don't really have any money," Ruby explained. "I was hoping to get some more money for, oh, I don't know, clothes and stuff."

Rowan nodded. "I understand. It'd be nice to have some extra money, although I'm not sure what I would do with it. Maybe I could get some self-defense weapons or something."

"Not a bad idea, considering what's going on right now and all…"

Rowan looked down. "I wish I could kill Cedric by myself," he muttered angrily. "I wish I could be as strong as you." He looked up again. "Did you know that Cedric is afraid of you? Last night I heard him talking with other people. He called you some bad names and told someone else that he thought you were crazy. What did you do to him?"

Ruby grinned. "We had a little encounter," she said, laughing. "Well, that'll make things easier."

Even Rowan managed a smile as he saw her delighted expression. "I think we should start working now. I'm sure the cooks will have some things that need cleaning." He looked directly at her. "Thanks for talking with me, Rose. I feel a lot better now."

"No problem," Ruby said, getting up. "If you need anything, I'd be glad to help you any time."

With that said, Ruby headed into the kitchen, rolling up her sleeves and getting ready to do some work.

* * *

**Note:**

**First day of break, officially! Yay!**

**Sorry things are a bit slow, hold on :3**

**Thanks for reviewing, PM me if you have any questions, or put down reviews, etc :D**


	54. A Night Out

Cedric was chopping at the counter as Ruby walked by. With a small grin on her face, she stood behind him and poked him in the shoulder.

The weasel's ears twitched as he turned around. "Wha-"

His eyes widened. "You!" He pointed his knife at her, frowning. "Stay the hell away from me."

Ruby put on an innocent look. "What's wrong?" she asked. "What did I do? I just wanted to have a nice, friendly chat with you. Maybe in the back alley?"

Cedric looked incredulous. "No fucking way. I'm going to stay right here in, front of all these people, so you think twice about whatever you're going to do, you psycho bitch."

"Geez, okay," Ruby said as she backed off. "You didn't have to be so rude."

The weasel didn't respond as he stared at her, keeping an eye on her until she backed off to a safe distance before returning to his work.

Ruby spent the rest of the lunch hours washing the dishes, cleaning them as they came in. By the time the customers had left Ruby only had a few plates left. She finished cleaning them and wiped her hands down, watching as the other employees sat down and grabbed some leftover food.

Rowan was wiping down the tables when Ruby went into the dining room. She watched him clean for a few minutes before speaking up.

"Do we have a lunch break now?"

Rowan looked up and nodded. "We get an hour or so to eat and do other things. I usually just stay here and eat some food, although sometimes I wander around town a bit."

Ruby thought for a moment. "Great," she exclaimed as she stood up and removed her apron. "See you in an hour."

Rowan looked confused. "W-wait, where are you going?"

Ruby folded the apron and set it on the counter. "Places to be, things to do," she said vaguely as she quickly walked out of the door.

She began jogging the moment she left the restaurant, steadily increasing her pace as she neared the outskirts of the town. The sun was high in the sky and the air was clear as she ran back to Maia's place. Because the path was so rarely used by anyone, Ruby was able to sprint as quickly as she could, her boots crunching into the snow and sending shards of ice flying up as she ran forward.

The wall of the town quickly loomed up ahead, the wooden structure soaring into the sky as she drew close to it. Ruby took out her keys, unlocked the door, and entered Maia's house. Maia wasn't home yet, no on responding when Ruby called her name. The clock showed Ruby that she still had plenty of time left, her mad dash having allowed her to reach the house incredibly quickly.

Ruby leapt down the basement steps, her boots thumping on the wooden stairs as she landed in a crouch at the bottom. She slid open the wall panel, taking the safe key out of her pocket and unlocking the safe as quickly as she could. She took the bundle out of the safe, unwrapping her ragged cloak as she did so, and took out just the scythe.

After she had replaced the bundle and relocked the safe she began unfolding her scythe, running up the stairs as the scythe whirred open. The kitchen shutters were still open, so she jumped onto the windowsill and climbed onto the roof. No guards were near the top of the wall, so Ruby began carving. She created tiny cut-outs in the wall with her scythe to give herself a way of climbing without needing to rely on her weapon, making sure that they weren't too visible from a distance.

By the time she was done, Ruby estimated that she only had a little time left before she had to run back to the restaurant. She quickly flipped herself over the ramparts and onto the walkway, folded up her scythe, and looked out at the landscape. Her plan was to scope out the wall during her lunch break so that she could devote at least part of her time toward doing her job of protecting the wall. She didn't expect much, of course, and she was sure that the guards in the guard towers would probably see the Grimm before she did, but at least this way she was actually physically doing something.

The snow was nearly gone now, the unusually warm weather melting a good portion of the ice. Deciding not to take any chances, Ruby clipped her scythe to her belt and lowered herself back down the wall, clutching the new handholds she had made. Once she had climbed a safe distance, she leapt off of the wall, dissipating the force of the impact as she landed in a crouch and rolled forward.

Dusting the flecks of ice off of her t-shirt, she entered Maia's house again, stowing the scythe in the safe and getting a drink of water. As she washed the glass and replaced it, Ruby realized that she was really pushing her time limits at this point.

She quickly flew out of the front door, locking it behind her as she went, and ran all the way back to the Gray Wolf. She barely made it in time, Rowan's worried face scanning the window as she came into view.

The fox's face quickly turned into a smile as he waved at her. Ruby grinned back, straightening her hair and clothes before entering the restaurant.

"What were you doing?" the fox faunus asked, going back to setting the tables. "Did you eat yet?"

"I'm fine," Ruby said, ignoring the growling of her stomach. "I was just taking a walk."

She sniffed the air, the smell of spices and roasted meats reaching her nose. "Do you think Mingan will let me eat if I finish doing my job?"

Rowan shrugged. "You can just go ask him, he's always in his office anyways."

"Is the food free?"

Rowan nodded. "Yeah, you can get some leftovers from the kitchen. Mingan is really nice about this stuff."

"Awesome," Ruby said, giving herself a little fist-pump as she walked into the kitchen.

The rest of the staff were sitting around at the empty tables, chatting with empty plates of food in front of themselves. A few of them got up the put the dishes into the dishwasher, cleaning their hands before sitting back down.

Ruby didn't mind, quickly scrubbing and rinsing the extra dishes as she worked, eager to get to her lunch. After neatly stacking the dishes, Ruby took a leftover slice of steak, put it down on a plate, and grabbed a fork and knife. There weren't any customers at the moment, so Ruby supposed that it would be okay if she ate. Not to mention all the other employees who were sitting around and talking.

She sat down at one of the empty tables to eat. Rowan came over a few minutes later, untying his apron as he sat down next to her.

Ruby swallowed a mouthful. "So, did you eat yet?" Ruby asked.

Rowan nodded. "I ate a bit before you got back," he said.

They sat in silence for a while, Rowan waiting for Ruby to finish eating before he began speaking. A single customer came in while she ate, a few of the staff getting up to prepare him some food.

"Do you want to know how I got into this situation?" Rowan asked quietly.

Ruby looked around, making sure that they were far enough from the other staff so that they wouldn't be heard. "Sure," Ruby said. "I was curious about that anyways."

Rowan hesitated. "Well, it's not really much of a story."

"That's okay," Ruby assured him. "Who knows, maybe you'll give me something to work with. And besides, we're friends, right? You can talk to me about whatever you want."

"Well, alright. To start off from the beginning: My parents don't really know what this town is like. They've been in the small fox community this entire time. I don't think they've even come to the main city since we moved here. They think that this entire settlement is nice and safe, and that it would be perfectly fine for me to go into this town and find a job by myself. I'm not even sure if they know that carnivores are supposed to dislike the 'plant-eaters' now."

"Wow. Why don't you just tell them what it's like?"

"I wanted to, and I still want to. But by the time I realized how… lawless this place really was, it was way too late."

"So what happened?"

Rowan sighed. "Cedric happened. He was really nice and all at first, but I think he was just tricking me. And then he asked me to help him rob people, and I refused."

"Good for you," Ruby exclaimed. "Robbing people is bad."

Rowan looked as if he were about to cry. "But I'm robbing people right now! He blackmailed me, remember?"

Ruby paused. "Well then, it's, uh, it's not your fault? Because he's making you do it?"

"I guess so," Rowan said dejectedly. "So that's my story."

"Hmmm." Ruby glanced at Cedric, who was sitting at one of the tables and talking to someone else. "What if I went up to him right now and gave him a few stabs?"

"W-what?"

Ruby pantomimed holding a knife and jabbing it forward. "You know, just walking up to him and giving him a few good stabs. That'll show him."

Rowan looked doubtful. "But then they'll see you, and you'll get into trouble."

"Maybe I could stab everyone?" Ruby suggested.

"Um, I don't think that's going to work. You don't even have a knife right now."

"Then I'll use my hands," Ruby decided. "A quick snap of the neck and no one will suspect a thing."

Rowan looked nervous, glancing around as his fox ears twitched. "I think you should calm down before you get yourself arrested."

"So is that a no?" Ruby asked. "I mean, you have to be decisive. After all, we're talking about killing someone."

"I-" Rowan stuttered. "I… I think I'm going to have to think about this for a while."

"Sure," Ruby said, absentmindedly kicking her legs. "So… what do we do now?"

Rowan took a moment to respond. "We just wait and serve any customers that come in," he said. "It gets pretty boring during this time." He looked at her. "Who was that rabbit faunus from last night?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, she's my friend. Like I said before, she's the one I moved in with after I decided to stop being a loner. Her name's Maia, she's a police officer."

Rowan looked around for a second before speaking, his voice hushed. "What are you two trying to do?"

"Huh?"

"Why were you two on the rooftops last night? I know you guys said you would help me, but what's your goal?"

"Uh… I'm not supposed to tell you, sorry. But in general, we want to do something about this whole mess between the carnivores and the herbivores."

Rowan's eyes widened. "Does it have something to do with the attacks on the herbivore faunus communities?"

Ruby kept her mouth shut, avoiding Rowan's questioning gaze.

Rowan frowned. "I'm not deaf you know," he said, indicating the fox ears on his head. "I've heard Cedric talking about something like that, and I've also heard rumors about this sort of thing."

Ruby got up, smiling apologetically at Rowan. "Oh look, I think they're done eating. Gotta go do the dishes, bye!"

Ignoring Rowan's protests, Ruby quickly walked into the kitchen, scanning the room for things to clean. When she was done with the dishes, she went back outside and sat next to Rowan again. This time the fox faunus avoided mentioning the incidents between the carnivores and the herbivores, instead just shooting down Ruby's plans of getting rid of Cedric and suggesting his own.

* * *

The afternoon passed slowly, the occasional customer breaking the monotony while Ruby talked with Rowan. Cedric was always with someone whenever Ruby looked over at him. When the customers came in for dinner, the weasel always made sure to stand near someone else or otherwise stay out of her reach.

After the dinner rush was over, Ruby hurriedly untied her apron and walked to the door, eager to meet up with Maia.

"See you, Rowan," Ruby called.

Rowan was also untying his apron, getting ready to leave. "Bye, Rose. See you tomorrow?"

"Yup," Ruby responded as she pushed the door open and walked outside.

A gust of cold air immediately hit her, the weather getting chilly again. Ruby ignored the biting wind as she looked around, taking a few seconds to find and recognize Maia. The rabbit faunus was wearing a thick hood, her ears hidden under it as she huddled against the wall. A scarf adorned her neck, the thick material squeezed into the hood.

"You're really not cold, huh?" Maia muttered, seeing Ruby's t-shirt.

"Nope," Ruby said, giving Maia a hug.

Maia waited a few seconds before freeing herself from the embrace. She picked a direction and began to walk. "First we'll go to the laundromats, because you need to be able to do your own laundry. Then we're going to get you some more clothes."

Ruby looked pensive. "I get my paycheck on Friday. Can we wait until then or something?"

Maia raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to wear that t-shirt for a week?"

"Well…"

"No way," Maia stated, grabbing Ruby's arm and tugging her forward. "You are not wearing the same outfit for five days. What would your coworkers think of you?"

Ruby smiled as she let Maia drag her along. "Okay, okay. Nothing too fancy, though. I just need a few changes of shirts and pants."

"Of course," Maia said. "This is my money you're spending after all."

The laundromat was in the middle of the city, the stone and brick ceiling advertising its services with a large sign on the front. A few Dust-powered lights illuminated the sign, the sun setting as the night took over. The glass front provided a view of washers and dryers lining the inside of the shop, quite a few of the machines in less than stellar condition. People were sitting on the chairs provided inside, reading a book or checking their tablets as they waited.

Maia kept her hands in her pockets as she talked. "I don't think I need to tell you, but avoid the broken-looking machines. They suck at cleaning and sometimes they just eat your lien. Also, you should stay with your clothes and bring something to do. Don't leave your clothes unattended."

Ruby nodded. "Should I bring laundry detergent or something?"

Maia shook her head. "You can buy it at the laundromat. Any other questions?"

"I'm good."

"Then we're going to go get some clothes for you. Any colors you prefer?"

"Uh-"

"Actually, let's just get more neutral-colored shirts. You'll want to look tidy, but you shouldn't stand out." Maia glanced at Ruby. "You're not going to keep your shirts clean, are you?"

Ruby averted her gaze. "Well, you know, blood comes out easily. I mean it's really hard to avoid getting them dirty with the whole thing with Emmett, plus people attacking me…"

"Right, okay. Cheap t-shirts and jeans it is," Maia decided, striding forward.

In stark contrast to the laundromat, the clothing store Maia took her to was in the outskirts of town, the plain brick building surrounded with a few unoccupied structures. A simple sign on the front advertised cheap clothing, the empty window frames giving a glimpse into the shop.

"What's with all the empty buildings?" Ruby asked.

Maia looked around. "Would you want to live here? By yourself, alone, isolated?"

"Uh, maybe?"

Maia thought for a moment before grinning a bit. "Okay, so I guess that describes where we live. But most people want to live with others, in their own communities. These buildings probably won't be used until the population in this settlement increases."

The door was made out of plywood, the hinges squeaking a little as Maia pushed it open. The thin deer faunus at the desk looked at them, squinting suspiciously at Ruby and sniffing the air.

He cleared his throat. "No carn-"

"Ah shut up already," Maia interrupted, ignoring his protests as she walked into the warehouse.

Ruby giggled as she followed Maia. "I can see why they like you," she whispered.

Maia shrugged. "I can't help but get annoyed when I see people like them, whether they're carnivores or herbivores. You just came in to buy clothes, it's not like you're torturing his family or anything."

"Err, right."

"And he still tried to stop you from buying clothes. It's people like them who keep this conflict going. If the civilian population just cooled their heads and thought things through, we could easily identify the troublemakers on both sides of the issue."

The store was mostly empty, the only other customer in the store a mouse faunus that was browsing through the shoes. Maia and Ruby walked down the racks of the clothing, Maia periodically pulling off a dull-colored shirt or two. Ruby choose a few pairs of jeans and a few pairs of sweatpants, making sure to only pick ones that weren't brightly colored and were ordinary looking. She also chose a few sets of underclothes, picking sensible tops and shorts.

They finished quickly, the two of them meeting back up before bringing the bundles in their arms to the checkout. The deer faunus glared at them the whole time, grumpily counting their clothes and demanding the lien. Maia pulled out her wallet and dropped the plastic cards onto the counter before grabbing two large paper shopping bags and scooping the clothes into it. They each held a bag as they walked out the door.

The sky was completely dark now, the streetlights illuminating the sidewalk as they began to walk home. Ruby felt something hit her eyelashes, making her blink.

"It's snowing again," Ruby said, tilting her head back and trying to catch the snowflakes in her mouth.

Maia clutched her clothes even tighter around herself, staring at the snow with a vengeance. "Great. Decent weather for a few days and then this shit again."

Ruby looked at her. "Don't we still have a month or so of winter left?"

"Don't remind me."

The two of them began to walk quickly, their pace nearly a jog.

"So, no bar tonight?"

Maia shook her head. "Not in this weather. I'd rather stay home and stay warm."

"What about Emmett?"

"He'll understand. He knows I hate the cold."

By the time they reached Maia's house a layer of white powder had already built up on the ground, a gust of wind making the rabbit faunus shiver. Maia grimaced as she tried to warm her cold fingers, puffing warm breaths into them before reaching for the key in her pants pocket.

Ruby set her bag on the ground. "Here, let me do this."

"Thanks," Maia said, stuffing her hands back into her pockets.

Ruby pulled out the keys and unlocked the door, beckoning Maia to go in first. She picked up the bags and stepped into the house, shutting the door behind her. Maia had already turned on the lights, a soft glow spreading throughout the room as the lantern came to life. The rabbit faunus pushed a bit of snow off of the counter and closed the kitchen window shutter.

"Did you eat yet?" Ruby asked as she began heading for her room.

"Yup," Maia responded, surprising her. "I didn't want the meat in the basement to go to waste, so I ate at the restaurant and I was going to have you cook at home. Are you okay with that?"

"That's perfect," Ruby assured her. "Now you won't have to go out in this weather, and I can save money."

"Good. I'm going to make some tea. You should put the clothes in your room and get some food for yourself."

By the time Ruby was done sorting out the clothes, folding and placing them into the drawers, Maia was already boiling water, the stove fiery and hot.

Ruby went down the basement stairs and slid open the cooler box. She chose a large random chunk of meat, checked to see if the ice in the box was still solid, then closed it.

"Maia?"

"Hmm?"

"Do we have any spices or anything?"

Maia was dumping tea leaves into the kettle. "Yeah, they're in the cabinet right above you. I think I have some random stuff, it's probably pretty dusty. The salt should be fine, though."

Ruby grabbed a pan, setting down the frozen chunk of steak and beginning to heat it. Maia watched her with interest for a few minutes, but eventually grabbed her tea and sat down on the couch. As Ruby cooked, Maia kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the couch, holding the steaming mug between her fingers.

Maia made a face as the smell of cooking flesh permeated the room. She massaged her ears as she took another sip of tea. "Doesn't that remind you of human flesh? I bet human flesh would smell exactly the same. I can't imagine how you people eat that on a regular basis."

"Well actually human flesh-" Ruby stopped herself, realizing she was in dangerous territory. Trying to get away from the topic, she hastily amended, "I mean, it's not like I would know how it tastes or anything. But, uh, this tastes good. And it's filling and yummy and tastes completely different from vegetables."

"Your choice," Maia said as she got up from the couch. She took a few cords of wood and dropped them into the stove, heating up the room a little more.

When the steak was done, Ruby sprinkled a bit of salt on both sides before taking it out of the pan. She had already grabbed the meat with one hand and taken a bite when she realized that Maia was watching her.

Ruby hastily set the steak down, looking for somewhere to wipe her hand. "Oops."

Maia sighed. "You're not alone in the wilderness anymore, Red." She wiped Ruby's hands down with a hand towel before giving her a fork and a knife. "Remember your manners."

As Ruby finished up her food, Maia was sitting on the couch and reading through her tablet. Ruby washed the dishes in the sink, neatly placing them on the countertop to dry.

"Any news?"

"Nope," Maia said. "Investigation is still ongoing."

She yawned, stretching and loosening her ponytail. Ruby looked at her thoughtfully, wondering how she could find a way to cuddle up with Maia.

She sat down on the cough, edging closer to the rabbit faunus. "So, uh, what are you looking at?"

Maia glanced at her but didn't move. "Just the police reports."

"Uh huh," Ruby said, scooting even closer.

They were basically touching now, Ruby shoulder-to-shoulder with Maia.

"Oh all right," Maia said, exasperated but smiling.

Maia grabbed the blanket off of the edge of the couch, setting it down on the two of them as they sat next to each other. Ruby leaned against the rabbit, careful not to touch her despite her what her instincts were screaming at her to do.

Maia rolled her eyes. "Keep your hands to yourself, Red. You get to sit with me because we're friends."

Ruby grinned, putting her head against Maia's shoulder.

Maia propped her tablet up between them and began to show Ruby the police database and the case information she was looking at. Ruby tried to focus on her words, but Maia's face and her brilliant blue hair was a little distracting.

And then Maia's ears twitched, her body tensing up.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked, worried that she had startled her.

Maia leapt up and flipped off of the couch, dashing to the table.

"I heard motorcycles," Maia whispered. "I don't know what the hell is going on, but normal civilians wouldn't have access to motorcycles and wouldn't be driving around at this time, especially not to here."

Maia picked up her gun, cocked it, then threw an extendable police baton to Ruby. "Swing it out to extend it. It's about two feet long."

The weapon made a satisfying click as Ruby swung it outwards, the segments locking into place as it fully extended. Maia cleared the desk of papers and flipped it over, peeking over the top of the makeshift barrier. Ruby crept toward the entrance, raising her baton.

With a loud cracking sound, the door and the kitchen shutters exploded inwards in a hail of wooden fragments.

* * *

**Note:**

**And that was this chapter :D I tried to get more chapters out during the break, but dammit, I had six college applications to do along with their supplements T.T, and then AP homework...**

**But enough about my problems, here's the next chapter! Please review, PM me with questions or anything, leave comments, etc. Happy belated Holidays!**


	55. Hired Guns

A roaring bear faunus came through the door, his snarling face appearing through the cloud of wood fragments. Maia calmly raised her pistol and fired twice, both bullets exiting through the side of his head. The bear's face went slack, his body immediately going limp and dropping to the floor.

At the same time, some sort of cat faunus broke through the kitchen window, her large black and white stripped ears pressed against her head. She landed in a crouch on the floor, shaking her head free of wood splinters as she gazed about the room, thick flakes of snow swirling in through the broken shutters.

Ruby hesitated for a slight moment, surprised at her opponent's method of entry, then threw her baton at the intruder. The spinning mass of metal caught the cat faunus on the forehead, making her let out a surprised yowl.

"That's not how you're supposed to use a baton, Rose!" Maia shouted, ducking under the table as bullets came whizzing through the front entrance.

Ruby ignored the rabbit, her heart pounding as she leapt at the stunned cat. The cat recovered just as Ruby vaulted over the kitchen counter, ducking under Ruby's first swing as she put a hand to her belt. Her hands were a blur as she took out several thin blades, twirling them between her fingers.

Ruby swung her knee upwards, hoping to catch the cat in the head, but the cat was already gone, perched on top of the counter, her yellow eyes wide as she stared at Ruby. Ruby ignored the odd sensation in her stomach as she dived forward once again, her arms outstretched as she reached for the cat.

Maia was busy with the firefight as Ruby ran after the cat faunus, knocking over plates and smashing through cabinets as she swung at her agile opponent. The faunus just continued backing up, staying out of her reach as Ruby cracked the stone countertops with each swing, her fists pounding into the top and sending shards flying.

Ruby reinforced her fingers with more aura to lessen the damage done to her fingers as she tried to catch the faunus. With a growl, Ruby disappeared in a burst of rose petals, making the cat faunus blink in surprise.

Ruby was behind her in an instant, and quickly locked her fingers around her opponent's neck. The cat faunus' muscles immediately went taught, her hands scrabbling at Ruby's fingers as she tried to free herself. Ruby grinned, revealing her teeth as she bent down to rip out her throat.

And then Ruby's left arm went limp, her grip loosening and her arm falling to the side as the cat faunus freed herself from Ruby's remaining hand, her neck splotchy red and her throat making an odd rattling sound as she coughed. Ruby stared at the kitchen knife in her upper arm, a trickle of blood coming out of the stab wound. The cut was shallow, her aura stopping it before it could go deeper, but it had obviously hit something important.

The cat faunus had backed up to the shutter again, still gasping and coughing as she climbed up the counter. Seeing that her prey was about to escape, Ruby slid the knife out of her arm and threw it at the cat faunus, catching her in the back as she tumbled out of the window frame. Just before the cat faunus disappeared from Ruby's view, a pair of muscular arms caught her and gently lowered her to the ground.

A dog faunus stuck his head through the window, his teeth bared and his eyes wide with fury. He had sharp triangular ears, his hair a blend of orange and black, and his umbra-colored eyes were gleaming in the night. Despite the cold, he only wore a leather vest and dark blue jeans, steam rising into the air as he glared at her. His arm muscles bulging, he flung himself through the window, taking Ruby by surprise as he tackled her.

Ruby threw out her right fist, catching his left arm, but his right fist slammed into her chin, making her see stars as she flew back across the counter, hitting the side of the couch and bouncing to the ground.

"Rose!" Maia screamed, pointing the gun at the dog and firing.

Clearly possessing quicker reflexes than the bear faunus, the dog had already ducked behind the counter, the bullets glancing harmlessly of the stone surface.

Taking advantage of the distraction, a lynx stepped into the room, her face in a rictus of anger as she fired at the thick desk Maia was hiding behind. She held a black handgun in each hand, forcing Maia to stay behind cover as she laid down a hail of bullets.

"You killed him, you bitch!" the lynx shouted.

A glimmer of tears showed on her face as she ran out of bullets in both guns. She deftly handled the weapons, dropping the magazines from each and slipping fresh ones into each gun at the same time, taking only a moment to spare a glance for her fallen partner, the bear faunus slumped on the floor in a growing puddle of blood.

The solid wooden desk flew upwards, catching the lynx unawares and making her scream with pain as her forearms shattered, the desk pinning her to the ground as her handguns flew out of her grip. She writhed in pain beneath the desk, her broken arms making her unable to push the heavy weight off of her.

Maia looked towards Ruby, glimpsing the dog faunus jumping across the counter and at Ruby. She quickly fired the remaining three bullets in her magazine, swearing as they barely nicked her quickly-moving target. Cursing her lack of ammo, she began to run toward Ruby but suddenly stopped, her ears twitching.

The rabbit faunus immediately dropped to the ground, flattening her ears as a sleek motorcycle flew through the front door and skimmed her ponytail as it roared past her. The motorcycle slammed into the wall and sent a cloud of dust flying up, its twisted metal scattering across the floor as it broke into pieces.

Ruby was trying to fend off the dog as they rolled around on the ground. Her head was still ringing as she wildly punched with her good arm, though her aura has protected her from the brunt of the blow. Her left arm was beginning to heal already, the muscle fibers trying to twist back together. The dog was slamming fists into her body, trying to break through her aura before she could recover. Ruby managed to get her good arm around his neck for a second, squeezing, but the dog faunus instantly reacted, grabbing her wrist and throwing her across the room and into the wall. Ruby took the brief respite to find her footing, glaring at the faunus that was running toward her.

A man stepped through the door, ignoring the crying of the lynx beneath the table as he unsheathed his swords. The wolf faunus wore a white dress shirt and black dress pants, his brown tufted ears clearly visible through his hair. His feral yellow eyes glanced around the room, focusing on Maia as a target.

Maia took a moment to analyze the situation, looking at the empty gun in her hand. She then whipped it at the faunus' face, throwing the pistol with all of her strength. The wolf faunus let out a low laugh, deflecting the pistol to the ground.

But Maia had already accomplished her goal, using the distraction to dive and pick up the two handguns the lynx had dropped, rolling and bringing them up to point them at her opponent. The wolf faunus howled at her, realizing his disadvantage and immediately charging her head on.

Maia paused in surprise as the ammo clips dropped out of the guns. The lynx had been hit with the table mid-way through reloading and she hadn't been able to lock the clips in place. Then the wolf was upon her, swinging his blades, forcing Maia to use the guns to parry his sword blows.

Meanwhile Ruby was wrestling with the dog again, a sharp discomfort spiking through her stomach when she was thrown facedown onto the floor. She rolled right-side up and kicked out with both legs, knocking the dog away and cracking his ribs from the force of the blows.

Ruby took the chance to look down at her stomach. Her t-shirt had three red bloodstains, each spreading from a hole in her shirt. A piece of metal protruded from one of the holes, the tiny blade sliding out easily as Ruby quickly pulled it free.

Saliva flecked with blood was dripping from the dog's mouth, Ruby's traded blows having clearly having done significant damage to him. Despite the fact that he hadn't been able to take down her aura, he charged Ruby again, his legs pumping as he closed the gap between them.

The moment the dog was in range, Ruby brought up the blade and shoved it through the underside of his jaw. His growls quickly turned to panicked whines as he realized what had happened, his arms flailing uselessly against Ruby as she ignored his punches and held onto his shoulder.

With a savage grin, she pulled the knife out and speared it through his eye, careful not to damage his brain and end her fun prematurely. His whines now turned into screaming. Vitreous fluid leaked from his punctured and deflated eye, the jelly-like substance dripping down his face and smearing Ruby's hand. Ruby pulled out the knife and began to work on his other eye, slicing it open. The dog faunus tried to bite her desperation, his mouth gnashing in fear and pain. She shoved the knife into his mouth, cleaving his tongue in two as the dog retched, the taste of his own fluids making him vomit.

Maia was losing her footing, the wolf faunus pushing her back bit by bit in a whirlwind of steel. A few shallow cuts appeared on her arms, her aura able to stop most of the attacks but not entirely nullify them. Realizing she couldn't keep this up forever, Maia decided to make a move.

The rabbit faunus pretended to take a step back, shifting her stance, then kicked up one of the loaded magazines from the ground. The wolf instinctively swiped it out of the air, unwilling to let Maia get her hands on the ammo. The next magazine flew up too, and he also flung that to the side. The two handguns were then thrown at his face, forcing him to bring his swords up to stop the chunks of metal from breaking his jaw.

And then Maia was right next to him, grabbing his sword blades with her bare hands and grimacing. Aura flared around her hands, stopping the swords after they had penetrated only a few millimeters into her skin. The two were locked in a struggle for a few seconds, spittle flying from the wolf faunus' mouth as he panted.

His expression turned panicked as the swords slowly began moving towards his body. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his arms trembled as Maia pushed down, driving the swords back into his arms. Blood bloomed on his shirt as the sword bit into him, his grip weakening as his wrists twisted.

"I give up!" the wolf shouted, his voice hoarse with terror.

"Drop the swords," Maia ordered.

The wolf gulped, letting go of the weapons and immediately stumbling back. Maia flipped a sword around, still holding the blade as she slammed the hilt into his head, dropping him to the floor.

Maia leaned the swords against the upturned table, wiping her bloody palms on her pants and turning to watch Ruby. The bloodstained girl was preparing to finish the wolf faunus off. The faunus was trying to crawl away on all fours as she stood over him, grabbing his hair and pulling his head back. Multiple puncture wounds decorated his face and his clothing was filled with numerous tears.

"Re-" she corrected herself "-Rose, it's over. You don't need to kill him."

Ruby turned at the sound of her voice, her expression showing no signs of recognition as she stared at the brilliant blue hair. The dog faunus slumped to the floor as she let go of him, pulling her tiny knife out of his side. She clutched the metal blade in her hand as she stalked towards Maia, her slow pace sending shivers up the rabbit faunus' spine as Ruby drew closer.

Maia grabbed a sword off of the table, holding it out in front of her. "Rose, snap out of it."

Ruby kept walking forward, her expression hungry. Maia's hands trembled ever-so-slightly as Ruby continued her pace, her arms and legs moving mechanically as she ignored the blade and stretched her hand out toward the rabbit. Maia panicked and thrust the sword forward, the tip of the blade parting her shirt. A new spot of blood bloomed between her breasts, the cold steel sinking into her flesh as the metal worked its way into her sternum.

And then Ruby sucked in a breath, the simple blade falling out of her hand as she took a step back. Maia jerked in surprise, barely stopping herself from running the girl through.

Ruby took a moment to find her voice, rubbing a hand over her chest and trying to wipe the blood away. "I'm okay, Maia." Her own internal turmoil contradicted her words, her damaged and aura-starved body clamoring for blood as her reason tried to suppress the hunger. "I'm okay."

Maia lowered the sword back down to her side. "You sure? I've seen people in bloodlust before, and it wasn't pretty." She indicated the chair that was previously at the desk and somehow miraculously still standing. "Why don't you sit down for a moment while I sort all of this out?"

Ruby blinked, trying to restore order to her mind as she rubbed her sticky palms on her shirt. "Yeah, that would be good."

She watched as Maia rummaged through her bag, bringing out a set of handcuffs and securing the wolf on the floor.

The rabbit dragged him over to Ruby. "Keep an eye on him. If he wakes up, just hold him down and try not to kill him."

The lynx was unconscious under the table, the white tips of her broken bones protruding from her skin. Her breaths were shallow, the wooden structure slowly smothering her. Maia carefully lifted the table off of her body, making sure not to injure her further.

"Rose, can you grab me a towel from the closet?"

Ruby nodded, running down the hallway and grabbing a towel. As she walked back to Maia, the rabbit faunus had taken two sticks from the tinder pile, breaking off pieces to shorten them.

Maia took the towels from Ruby's hands. "Thanks."

She pulled the unconscious faunus' bones back into place, then used the makeshift bandages and the splint to support and immobilize her arm. Then she took out another pair of handcuffs from her bag and shackled the lynx's wrists together.

Ruby was impressed. "How many of those do you have?"

"A lot," Maia assured her. "I come prepared. Besides, they can also be used as makeshift weapons."

The next person she attended to was the dog. The pitiful faunus was curled up on the floor, his eyelids a mangled mess as he wept bloody tears.

"Did you really have to stab him in the eyes?" Maia asked as she handcuffed the unresisting dog faunus and bound a bandage around his eyes.

Ruby shrugged. "Well, he was trying to bite me, and I found a knife in my stomach, so…"

"Right," Maia said, sticking her head out of the window. "Give me a second."

She vaulted the windowsill, landing on her feet and running toward the motorcycles outside. Ruby got out of her chair and walked over to the window, watching as Maia dragged the cat faunus out of the snowstorm and back toward the house. A trail of blood marked her desperate struggle to the motorcycle, her legs mostly paralyzed as she feebly struggled in Maia's grasp.

Ruby sat back down in her chair as Maia pulled the cat faunus in through the front door, the kitchen knife still protruding from her back. Her skin was deathly pale from the blood loss and the freezing temperatures, her eyes a little unfocused as she shivered.

Upon seeing the dog faunus, she wailed, fresh tears pouring from her eyes as she saw him lying in fetal position, the white strip of cloth wrapped around his head. Maia handcuffed her as she grew limp, weeping in horror.

"Let me see him," she mumbled numbly, pointing toward the dog faunus.

Maia opened her mouth to deny her request, but stopped herself, taking a moment to observe the situation before carrying her and setting her down next to the dog. The cat faunus stroked his ears, murmuring soothing words between her own choking sobs. The dog immediately turned around and wrapped his arms around her, the two clutching each other soundlessly.

Maia sighed. "Well, that's an odd pairing if I've ever seen one."

Ruby agreed, noticing that the wolf faunus was slowly waking up.

He sat up and looked around the room, taking in the casualties. "This was supposed to be easy," he said unsteadily, staring at his own hands as he leaned back against the wall. "What have I done?" He looked up at Ruby. "What have  _you_ done?"

His despairing look made her uncomfortable. She turned away from his searching eyes, trying to seek solstice in Maia.

Maia, on the other hand, returned his gaze, her expression cold and unyielding. "Didn't you come to kill us?"

The wolf faunus broke his gaze, looking down and giving her the tiniest of nods.

"Then be thankful that you're still alive."

With that, she ended the conversation, beginning her search for the tablet. She found it wedged between couch cushions, the corner a little dented. Swiping it open, she dialed the number for the police.

A voice crackled through the speakers. "You again, Maia? What happened this time?"

"Attempted burglary at my residence. Requesting permission to-"

"Your house?" the voice asked in disbelief. "Don't you live in the police housing district?"

Maia looked annoyed. "Yes. Five attackers. One is dead, the rest are in… stable condition. I'm requesting permission to hold them here for a little while. I'm going to ask them some questions and then I'll have you pick them up.

"You're going to extract your own brand of justice, huh?" the voice asked smugly.

Maia sighed. "No, I just want some information."

"Of course, of course," the voice said mirthfully. "But even if you didn't say anything, we wouldn't have been able to send a vehicle. The snowstorm is lowering visibility and the roads are too slippery and narrow. So don't worry, we'll take in whatever's left of them when you're done. I'll even forget the fact that you told me how many were alive."

"Thanks," Maia said sarcastically.

"Anything for you, baby."

Maia swiped the tablet shut, turning to face the prisoners. The wolf faunus was staring at her, his face set stubborn expression.

"You'll never get anything out of me," he declared.

Maia grabbed his shirt collar, pulling him up as he yelped with pain and glaring into his eyes. "You're only making this harder for yourself."

Ruby stared, interested.  _Now this is something I can get behind_. "Can I help?" Ruby asked.

Maia dropped the wolf on the ground, considering her proposal. "Let's get them secured, and then we'll talk."

"Okay," Ruby said. "I still have tons of steelsilk. Do you need to use any?"

Maia nodded. "That would be perfect." She looked down the hallway. "I feel silly for asking this, but do you mind if we put the badly injured ones in your bedroom?"

Ruby was nearly bouncing with joy. "Not at all!" she said cheerfully, realizing that this would force her to sleep somewhere else.

Maia cracked a smile. "Of course not," she said.

Ruby went to the basement to get her steelsilk as Maia brought out two leg shackles, placing them on the lynx and the wolf. When Ruby came back, they bound the struggling wolf to the chair with steelsilk, wrapping it around him multiple times and tying the strips off with secure knots. The two worked together and dragged him down the hallway, stopping at the closet.

"Oh hell no," the wolf said as Maia began taking out the towels and bedsheets. "I'm not going in there."

"You don't have a choice," Maia said, stacking the towels and bedsheets on her arms.

The wolf let out a stream of profanities as Ruby grinned and stuffed him into the closet, closing the door on his face.

"At least we'll be able to feed them with the meat you brought here," Maia said as she walked back to the other three.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah—"

She coughed violently, specks of blood spraying the wall before she covered her mouth with her hand.

Maia rushed over to her, grabbing her shoulders. "Rose?"

Ruby held up a hand, indicating for her to wait a second. A few tense moments later, Ruby coughed again, making a face as she spat a small knife into her hand.

"Oh, so that's where it went," Ruby contemplated as she wiped her mouth with her ragged shirt.

Maia stepped back, blinking. "Has this happened before? Should I be worried?"

Ruby opened her mouth, then closed it, shrugging.

The two of them carefully picked the groggy lynx, Ruby holding her under the arms and Maia grabbing her bound legs as they wrapped her legs with steelsilk and tied her upper arms to her torso. The lynx was slowly waking up, wincing whenever her arms were jostled.

"Where do you think she should go?" Maia asked.

"Go fuck yourselves," the lynx faunus mumbled, looking away from them.

"Bathroom?" Ruby suggested.

Maia shook her head. "Too inconvenient."

Ruby pointed down the hallway. "Then maybe we can just put her with the wolf for now. It's not like they're going anywhere, anyways."

Maia nodded. "That could work."

The lynx had gone silent again as they carried her toward the closet. Maia unlocked the door and opened it, the wolf faunus greeting them with a few choice words. Ignoring him, the two propped the lynx up against the wall.

"Try to escape and you'll regret it," Maia threatened her.

The lynx refused to look at them, turning to stare at the wall and whispering quietly to herself.

Maia was about to shut the door when the wolf faunus interrupted them.

"I need to use the bathroom," he pleaded.

"Nice try," Ruby grinned. "I think I know where this is going. You're going to try to escape, aren't you?"

The wolf growled at her. "No, I actually need to—"

"You'll go when I say you can," Maia decided. "Hold it in for now."

She shut the door and led Ruby back down the hallway, invectives coming out of the closet as they walked away.

Ruby looked at Maia. "Uh, we're going to let him pee sometime, right?"

Maia chuckled grimly. "Of course. But first we need to deal with our other two prisoners."

The two were still locked in their embrace, the cat faunus apparently asleep from exhaustion. The dog's ears twitched as they walked towards the pair, the faunus turning his head toward them and letting out a low growl.

"Easy there," Maia soothed him. "I need to get the knife out of her back, alright?"

The dog clutched the cat even tighter.

Maia sighed. "Rose, grab his arms."

The dog faunus immediately lashed out upon hearing her. But he was weakened and traumatized, so Ruby just grabbed his fist and pried his other arm off of the cat. The cat had woken up now and was struggling to stand up, but her legs kept failing her.

"Leave him alone," she cried as Ruby dragged the dog away.

Ruby had one hand around his neck and one hand holding his arms together, keeping him away from her as he thrashed. Maia propped the cat faunus up, unraveling a spool of steelsilk.

"Brace yourself," she warned, then pulled the knife out.

The cat spasmed, letting out a tiny mewl as Maia tightly bound the wound and stopped the blood flow. The rabbit faunus nodded to Ruby, so she dropped the dog faunus to the floor and stepped back. The cat found him again, the dog immediately hugging her and refusing to let go.

The two just watched them. "Well, this is awkward," Maia commented. "Cat, if you want to live, get the dog to carry you to your new rooms."

The cat faunus looked at them in fear before tilting her head and whispering into the dog's ear. It took a few seconds, but he eventually nodded, slowly standing up and cradling the cat. Ruby and Maia guided him along as they made their way to the guest bedroom, the dog cautiously shuffling forward and stumbling whenever he glanced off of a wall.

Maia sat the dog down on the bed, glancing at the windows contemplatively. Pulling out set of handcuffs, she grabbed the cat's wrist and cuffed her to the metal bed frame before she could react. The cat flinched but didn't complain, instead just holding the dog for comfort as Maia handcuffed the other faunus to the bed.

Maia pointed toward the shutters. "If two want to escape, go ahead, but there's a snowstorm outside and I don't think you'll be able to do much in your condition."

The cat faunus nodded, then burrowed her head into the dog's chest. The dog faunus frustratedly pulled at the handcuffs, growling, then gave up and sat back against the bed, nursing his ribs.

Maia closed the door and walked into the living room, sitting down on the couch. She didn't protest as Ruby sat next to her, leaning on her shoulder as they finally relaxed a little.

Maia ran a hand through her hair. "Well, that was unexpected."

* * *

 

**Note:**

**And that was this chapter.**

**AND IM FREE. I'm done with college apps, and now hopefully I can write more and more before midterms come up. Thanks for sticking with me through my delays, and I will try to pick up the pace.**

**Review, rate, comment, PM me, etc. Thanks for reading!**


	56. Interrogation

By the time things had calmed down, hours had passed. It was quite late, and the blizzard was still raging on, the storm showing no signs of abating.

"Did you do something?"

Maia shook her head. "Nope. I don't know why they attacked me, unless…"

She narrowed her eyes, sitting up. "Unless someone squealed."

"Rowan?"

"I don't see how it could have been anyone else. At this point the police think of me as one of them, and I don't think any of them would try to hire people to kill me. The only thing I can think of is if the hunting carnivores somehow caught wind of what I was doing, but I've definitely been very careful."

Ruby looked conflicted. "So, do you want me to get rid of Rowan?"

Maia raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we talk about this? I don't think it's right to have you as my personal assassin."

"But won't he mess up our whole plan if he talks?"

Maia shook her head. "No, or well, at least not anymore. The only thing he could have said about us is that he saw us on the roof, and that we talked about trying to fix the problem between herbivores and carnivores. Right?"

Ruby nodded. "Yup, that's how I remember it."

"Good. So what we do now is be more careful—" Maia shuddered "—and patch up the shutter and front door so I don't freeze to death."

Ruby grabbed the blanket off of the couch and wrapped it around Maia before standing up, smiling. "What do you want me to do?"

Maia sighed contently. "Thanks, Rose. Hey, do you mind if I just call you Rose for now?" She tilted her chin toward the walls. "You never know who's listening."

"Not a problem at all."

"Great." Maia closed her eyes, leaning back again. "There might be some saws in the basement, but I haven't checked since I moved in. Just try to find a way to get some wood and patch up these holes. You can dismantle some furniture to get the nails. I'm going to go… take… a nap…"

Ruby watched as Maia's head titled upward, her mouth parting slightly as she fell asleep. She pushed the indecent thoughts out of her head as she headed for the basement, an idea forming in her mind.

Ruby selected a few thicker logs of wood, then took her scythe out of the safe. Moving some canisters of Dust and a few stacks of wood to the side, she cleared some working space and sat down on the floor. The scythe slid open with a soft whirr, hyper-extending so that it's blade was nearly vertical with the shaft.

Holding the log with one hand and grabbing the head of the scythe with her other, she brought the scythe down and neatly sliced the log in half. She repeated the process with the other logs, careful not to injure herself. A few minutes later, she had a large stack of planks and some useless chunks of wood. Refolding her scythe, she placed it back into the safe before heading back up the stairs.

Ruby set the planks down in the living room and headed for the guest room. Two startled eyes greeted her from the darkness as she carefully opened the door.

"Sorry for disturbing you two. I just need to grab something."

Neither of them made a sound as Ruby grabbed the large drawer. Their mouths dropped open a little as Ruby flared her aura and hefted the drawer in one arm and backed out of the entrance, shutting the door with her free arm.

Seeing that Maia was still asleep on the couch, Ruby headed for Maia's bedroom. She quietly set the drawer on the floor and closed the door behind her. Her clothes were still in the drawers, so she pulled out the clothes and stacked them in Maia's bedroom closet, then placed her undergarments on top of Maia's dresser.

The wood came apart with a snapping and popping noises as Ruby pulled the individual pieces of the drawer apart, making sure to pick up any dropped nails. The dismantled closet yielded a large handful of nails and the shattered wooden pieces were left in the corner in case Maia wanted to use them for firewood.

Ruby decided to fix the shutters first. She grabbed the boards she had cut up, stacking them lengthwise over the shutter. She positioned the nails on them before using her palm to smash the iron into the wood. She worked quietly, the dull thuds of her hands and the soft groaning sounds from the wood the only things giving her away.

After she was done with the shutters, she moved on to boarding up the door, nearly running out of wood before finishing. She dropped the nails onto the counter, washed her hands, and pulled out a kettle. After filling it with water and starting up the stove she headed back to the couch, watching Maia sleep for a little while before waking her.

"I'm done," Ruby whispered, stroking Maia's shoulder.

Maia yawned wearily, blinking in surprise as her eyes focused on Ruby. "Are you boiling water?"

Ruby scratched her head. "I thought you'd like some tea."

Maia surprised her with a hug, wrapping her wiry arms around Ruby and pressing her into her chest. Ruby gave up on subtlety and blatantly smushed her face into Maia's breasts as she hummed in delight.

The rabbit faunus laughed. "I can't believe you've only been here for a few days. I feel like I've known you for a lot longer than that."

Ruby didn't respond, instead looking up and hoping for a kiss.

Maia grinned. "Don't push your luck," she said, getting up from the couch.

"Aww," Ruby whimpered in protest as Maia went to the kitchen.

Ruby made an attempt to convince Maia to put less tea leaves into the kettle but Maia refused, claiming that it wouldn't be "real" tea. After pouring the steaming liquid into mugs Maia set the table back upright and looked around for the missing chair.

"Ah dammit. We tied that wolf to the chair, didn't we?"

"Yup."

"Couch it is, then."

Ruby made another attempt to drink the tea, diluting it a few times by adding water before was palatable.

Ruby set the mug down on her lap. "So what do we do about the prisoners?"

Maia took a gulp of tea before responding. "What about them?"

"Uh, torture?" Ruby asked uncertainly. "Do we torture them? For, uh, information, of course."

"Interrogation," Maia corrected her. "I mean, I guess it's basically torture, but as a police officer it's a vital distinction."

"Right. So do we interrogate them?"

"Of course," Maia said, taking another gulp of her tea. "But nothing too extreme. I have a feeling that some of them are going to break without too much pressure."

Ruby looked disappointed. "So no stabby?"

Maia nearly choked on her tea. "No, Rose," she coughed, laughing. "No stabbing."

"But how will you get information from them?"

"Interrogators have a lot of techniques they can use, but I think scaring the shit out of the wolf will be enough." She motioned with her hand. "Finish your tea. We'll question him now, while he's still in shock."

Ruby took a bigger swallow of her drink. "The wolf is the leader, right?"

Maia nodded. "I'm hoping that he knows more than his friends. The other three aren't really in any condition to talk right now anyways."

Ruby gagged a little as she messily drank the rest of the bitter tea, wiping her mouth after downing it. "Do I get to do anything?"

Maia shrugged. "If I can't get anything out of him I'll let you try by yourself. Just follow my lead and play along for now."

Maia stood up and walked over to the closet, waiting for Ruby to follow. In a sudden motion, she opened the door and grabbed the wolf's chair, dragging him out into the lit hallway. He blinked wearily, his exhausted eyes trying to focus on whatever was in front of him.

Maia gave him a few seconds to recover his senses, then shouted at him and threw him down the basement stairs. Ruby heard frightened yelps as the wolf bumped down the stairs, unable to break his fall as he awkwardly tumbled down the wooden steps.

"Wow," Ruby whispered. "What happened to just scaring him?"

Maia started down the stairs. "He'll be fine."

The wolf faunus was lying dazed at the bottom of the steps. He grunted a bit as Maia kicked him a few times, closing his eyes and bracing himself when Maia set him upright.

"Talk," Maia ordered. "I'd give you the whole spiel about your rights, but frankly, I don't give a shit. You're in the middle of nowhere and your life is in our hands."

The wolf took a moment to understand her words, his face setting in a stubborn frown. "I've already said that I'm not talking. Is throwing me down the stairs the best you can—"

Maia punched him in the face, sending the wolf and the chair sprawling to the ground before she picked them back up again. "We're being gentle right now. Remember that we can do anything we want to you."

His face was already swelling a bit as he spat blood onto the ground. "You're not getting anything out of me. Even if I tell you what I know, I don't have any guarantees that I'll make it out of this alive."

Maia sighed, cracking her knuckles. "I'm sorry that you feel that way." She punched him in the stomach, making him retch. "If you don't feel like talking, we can always get another prisoner." She broke a finger on his hand, making him howl in pain. "Maybe your screams will make them cooperate."

"Wait," the wolf panted, cringing away from Maia's fist. "I can tell you a few details. If you release me, I'll tell you everything else."

Maia folded her arms. "I don't bargain with criminals." She motioned Ruby forward. "I don't need you anymore."

Ruby took her cue, stepping forward with her teeth bared. In an instant she had grabbed his head and slammed him against the wall. Her teeth were at his throat before he could protest, the sharp tips sinking into his skin as she took her time, lapping up the blood.

The wolf's eyes briefly met her unnaturally blue eyes before rolling back into his head in terror. He gurgled incoherently, trying to form words as he thrashed his head about. Maia tapped Ruby's shoulder, making her take one last lick before she reluctantly pulled back. Maia's eyebrows shot up as she saw the neat circular bite marks in his skin, but she otherwise made no indication of her surprise.

"Were you trying to say something?" she asked, keeping her hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"Please," he gasped. "I don't want to die."

"Then talk," Maia said impatiently.

He took a shuddering breath. "D-donagh. The sheriff told me that you had to be taken care of." He hung his head, crying. "I, I didn't tell you, alright?"

"We'll see," Maia simply said.

She grabbed his chair and hauled him back up the stairs. Ruby licked her teeth as she trailed Maia, the warm treat contrasting with the hunger and worry from what she had just done. Maia shoved him back into the closet, the wolf offering no resistance as the chair slid into place. The lynx seemed surprised to see him back, turning to glance at her captors before staring at the wall again.

Maia refilled their cups of tea and brought them back to the couch. The tepid liquid tasted even more bitter now and Ruby could barely swallow her mouthful. Ruby set the cup down, nervously touching her fingertips together as she waited for Maia to speak.

"Well done Rose," Maia said.

Ruby looked up with a confused look on her face. "Huh?"

Maia nodded. "Well done. You scared the shit out of him, we got the information, and no one died. I'd say that's a job well done."

"B-but—"

Maia wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. "You might have just saved my life, and you helped me find out who was behind it. Everything's working out, so stop worrying."

"Really? Well, alright," Ruby said, snuggling into Maia. "Do you think they'll try again? This Donagh person?"

"Well, Donagh is the sheriff."

Ruby stared up at her. "What?!"

"He's a bear faunus. He probably heard about what I was doing from someone, maybe Rowan, so he sent people after me."

"Why are you so calm?"

Maia shrugged. "I'm betting that he's probably not going to try again considering the fact that he sent five people and I just reported that I had subdued all of them. Plus, I have you here. I highly doubt they can send enough people to take us both down."

Ruby blushed a little, basking in the praise.

"Besides, we can always move out whenever we need to," Maia pointed out. "There are literally dozens of empty houses around here, so it'll take them a while to find our new living space if we're careful and lie low."

"I think we should just kill everyone," Ruby suggested. "If we get rid of all of the criminals, everyone will be safe and the whole problem will be solved, right?"

Maia shook her head. "Too hard. Too many people, and if we anger everyone, we won't be able to take on the entire carnivore population. And some of them don't deserve death. A few have only committed minor felonies, like stealing or shoplifting, and those aren't exactly punishable by death."

"Then I think we should hide," Ruby amended. "I think you'll be in too much danger if you go back to your job."

Maia ran a hand through her messy blue hair. "It's a risk I'm willing to take. If I go into hiding now, we're never going to be able to gather enough evidence on them. And like I said, I think Donagh is going to reconsider his strategy after this attempt."

"Whatever you think is best, Maia," Ruby said. "I'll follow you wherever you go."

Maia laughed. "A little creepy, but that's nice to know."

The room grew colder as the warmth from the stove faded. Maia began to shiver despite the blankets on top of them.

"I think it's time to go to bed," Maia said, getting up. "It's way too cold in here for me."

Ruby yawned, nodding. "What about the other prisoners? Should we release them now?"

Maia wrapped the blanket around herself. "Nah. I'm going to see if we can pry some more information out of them. That can't possibly be all they know. And why'd they even listen to Donagh, anyway? Have you seen them before?"

Ruby shook her head. "Never. And they weren't really good at fighting, were they?"

"Yeah, they weren't particularly skilled. The wolf couldn't even use his swords properly, and he relied too much on blocking instead of evading."

They reached the bathroom and closed the door behind themselves. Maia applied toothpaste to her brush as she talked, Ruby doing the same.

"With the blizzard outside, I don't think we'll be going anywhere for at least a day."

Ruby made a muffled noise of protest.

"Okay, you might be fine. But we need to guard the prisoners and take them on bathroom breaks and feed them, and I'll need another hand here in case they try to escape."

Ruby mused thoughtfully as she rinsed out her mouth. "Wait, what are you going to eat?"

Maia froze mid-brush. "Crap," she said, spitting out her toothpaste. "I guess you'll need to make a supply run after all. I can't risk being weak while we're in charge of these prisoners."

"No big deal," Ruby said, splashing her face with water. "I can go now if you're hungry."

She shook her head, grabbing a towel. "Thanks, but sleep is more important. Sleep deprivation is a lot more crippling than a little hunger. You'd be better off going during daylight so you don't get lost in the storm."

As they walked into her bedroom, Maia continued to berate herself. "I can't believe I forgot. What was I thinking?"

"Don't worry, I forget things all the time," Ruby assured her, stripping off her jeans and bloody t-shirt before sliding into bed.

"That doesn't really help, Rose." Maia said this wryly, but she smiled anyways.

She took off her casual clothes and pulled on thin cotton nightgown as Ruby watched, instantly drooling when she caught a glimpse of Maia's lean stomach.

"Goodnight, Rose," Maia said, turning off the Dust lantern.

Ruby breathed in the rabbit's scent as she pulled the covers up around her. "'Nite, Maia."

* * *

**Note:**

**That was this chapter! I'm going to try to speed things up, thanks for sticking with me!**

**Questions, comments, reviews, etc, feel free to PM me for anything!**


	57. A Hard Life

Ruby was breathing heavily as she stared at Maia. The rabbit had fallen asleep an hour ago, but Ruby hadn't been able to do the same. The exposed skin peeking from the rabbit's thin nightgown had entranced Ruby and made her unable to sleep as her gaze roamed over Maia's body. It was taking all of her self-control to stop herself from leaping onto Maia.

She took another deep breath to try to force herself to calm down, but Maia's scent invaded her mind again and made her tremble as her muscles strained against each other. Desperate, Ruby stuffed the cotton blanket into her mouth and bit down. The soft fabric was instantly shredded and her mouth was filled with fluff, making her spit out bits of bedding in annoyance.

She couldn't take it anymore. Ruby slowly inched toward Maia and reached for her. She stroked Maia's shoulder, the sensation of her warm skin sending tingles through her arm as she licked her lips in anticipation. Her fingers twitched in excitement as she slowly began to move the strap of Maia's nightgown down her arm. Lowering her head, she took a deep sniff and began to drool, a strand of saliva beginning to drip from her mouth as she went in for a taste of flesh.

Maia suddenly sat up with bright eyes and perked ears, making Ruby throw herself backwards and tumble off of the bed.

"Shh," Maia whispered. She paused for a moment. "I think they're trying to escape."

Ruby climbed back onto the bed, her face blushing red. She tried to form a cohesive thought as she regained her composure and wiped her mouth. She stuttered a bit before she was able to speak. "D-didn't we say that we didn't care if they tried to escape?"

Maia smoothed out her nightgown as she stood up. "I told the dog and cat that they could try to run if they wanted to because we had the wolf. But if they all try to escape, we won't have anyone left to question."

Ruby wanted to ask Maia if she had realized what Ruby had been doing, but she didn't really want to know the answer. Instead, she just got up and followed Maia. Maia was peeking through the slightly ajar door, looking down the hallway in search of the cause of disturbance.

Maia muttered a silent curse as she opened the door and crept into the hallway. Ruby was right behind her and followed her gaze. She immediately caught sight of the crooked closet door. The wooden frame was intact, but the door was barely hanging onto the hinges.

Maia paused for a second and flicked her ears, then continued to the closet. The sight of the wolf faunus in his chair lying on the floor greeted her after she pushed the door to the side. The wolf was making odd muffled sounds and rocking back and forth on his chair as he tried to push himself up. He frantically shook his head as Maia moved forward and pulled him upright.

The wolf's cries became more frantic and tears flowed out of his eyes as Maia pulled the rag out of his mouth. A torrent of blood flowed out of his mouth as Maia got the last pieces of towel out. The wolf coughed raggedly, sputum and saliva flecked with blood flying out of his mouth as he tried to clear his airway. Ruby sighed as the fluid splattered her already bloody tank top.

Maia frowned as she saw the blood spilling out of his broken teeth. The wolf tried to talk, but his dislocated jaw shifted and the attempt at coherency turned into a keening wail.

"Where's the lynx?" Maia asked him.

"I, ah, ah," the wolf stuttered. "Behend, berhend."

Maia leaned closer. "Speak slowly and clearly."

"Beh-"

Ruby was suddenly falling to the ground, the floor coming up to meet her as she collapsed. The feeling of cold steel registered a moment later when the knife had already left her neck.

Maia saw Ruby falling in the corner of her eye and immediately flared her aura. She turned to face the attacker and dodged a clumsy knife swing, the blade between the attacker's teeth. Before the attacker could try again, Maia had already kicked forward, her foot impacting the assailant's midsection and the knife clattering to the floor. Maia aimed another kick, earning a cry of pain from the attacker as she broke something. The attacker stumbled back and sat down, clutching her arm as she glared at Maia.

Maia ran back to her room and grabbed a lantern before returning to the hallway. The light flooded the area as she turned it on and bent to examine Ruby. Maia growled as she saw the gash in the back of Ruby's neck, the knife having clipped Ruby's spinal cord.

"Shit," Maia swore as she ripped a piece of fabric off of her nightgown. "Shit, shit, shit, shit."

She turned Ruby over and wrapped the bandage around the gaping neck wound. The blood immediately soaked through the thin fabric as Maia tried to stem the bleeding. She hesitantly tightened the bandage a little more, careful not to accidentally strangle Ruby.

Ruby tried to say "don't worry," but the flap of skin at her throat just expelled a bit of air. Her vocal cord also felt damaged, the knife having gone straight through her neck. She settled for blinking instead, making Maia exhale a sigh of relief as she saw that Ruby was still alive.

"You're really fucking tough, aren't you?" Maia said, shaking her head and laughing, her voice wavering a little.

Ruby twitched her mouth in an attempt to show her shared amusement.

Maia got up from the floor and turned to look at the lynx slumped against the wall. The leg shackles were still around her ankles and her arms were still bound with steelsilk, but she had managed to slip the tough material around her legs up to her torso. This had allowed her a limited range of movement that was enough to sneak to the kitchen and grab a knife in her teeth.

"I should just kill you right now," Maia stated as she stood over her.

"I have nothing to live for," the lynx said. "Kill me and get it over with."

Maia flared her aura and swung at the lynx's head. The lynx just stared at Maia as Maia's fist slammed into the wall next to her and sent a cloud of dust and wood flying.

"You're serious," Maia said contemplatively.

"Of course I'm serious you plant-eating piece of—"

Maia slammed her head against the wall and knocked her out.

"How much longer, Rose?" Maia asked as she walked back to Ruby. "One blink for each hour."

Ruby thought for a moment, then blinked once. The blood flow was already beginning to slow, her body directing all of its resources to that one area. She could feel the edges of her skin moving closer, the wound opening closing up.

Maia nodded. "I'll go tie up the lynx again. If you need anything, just, uh…" She shrugged. "Just tap the ground or something when you can move a bit."

Ruby watched as Maia tended to the wolf. Firmly gripping his head, she manipulated his jaw back into place with an audible popping sound. The wolf let out another cry of pain as she held his mouth shut and bound his jaw in place with a strip of his clothing. The bandage wrapped around his head and under his chin.

"Don't think that this will get you out of questioning," Maia warned him as she roughly knotted the piece of cloth.

The wolf nodded, the simple motion sending tears of pain into his eyes.

Maia twisted the steelsilk into wire-like strands and threaded them through the lynx's leg cuffs a few times, then tied the ends together. The cuffs were now wrapped together, the lynx now unable to move her legs separately.

The lynx's arm had been broken further, so Maia realigned the bone once more and redid the splint and bandages. Pulling out a key, she undid the handcuffs and moved the lynx's arms behind the lynx's back before cuffing her again.

"Should have done this in the first place," Maia muttered to herself.

Carrying the unconscious lynx on her shoulder, she moved the faunus back into the closet with the wolf and shut the door. Moving to the kitchen, she checked the time and peeked through one of the cracks in the boards that covered the window.

"It's four o'clock," Maia announced as she walked back to Ruby. "Still snowing."

She sat next to Ruby. "After you heal we'll go check on the cat and dog pair together. They might have set a trap for us or woken up after hearing all of this commotion, so we'll need to be extra careful."

She leaned back against the wall and sighed as she looked down at Ruby.

"You're not invincible, you know?"

Ruby could only blink in response.

"You might think you are, and trust me, I know how tough you are, but you are not invincible."

Maia ran a hand through her long blue hair, tucking wayward strands behind her ears.

"You need to be more careful, Rose. What if she didn't have both arms broken? She could have hacked through your head if she got a lucky hit and the knife went through your spine. You were lucky that she was holding the knife in her mouth. And next time, it might not even be a knife. It might be a machete, or an axe, or a few shotgun blasts to the head."

Ruby blinked rapidly and tried to open her mouth to respond, but she couldn't utter a word.

Maia made a placating gesture. "Okay, okay, so I didn't hear her either. But lynxes are really fucking sneaky, alright? Take my advice for things in general. You're not always going to be able to heal back up."

Ruby made a questioning expression.

"What, you think people are just going to let you lie there and heal after they've blown your brains out?" Maia chuckled darkly. "The first thing they'd do is chop you up into little pieces and burn the parts."

Ruby grimaced.

"Therefore," Maia continued, "you should keep your aura up if you're in a dangerous situation, like what happened tonight. True, it's a drain to keep it up all the time, but it should be fine if you just activate it during the critical moments."

They sat in silence for a while, Maia swiveling her rabbit ears as she listened for any signs of escape from the other faunus.

"So we have an hour to burn, huh?" Maia commented. "Have I told you about my past?"

Ruby found that she could move her head a little, her neck muscles reattaching, so she delicately shook her head.

"Alright then," Maia said.

She crossed her legs and made herself comfortable as she leaned forward. Her fingers idly traced circles on the hardwood floor as she began speaking softly.

"I lived in a bad neighborhood for all of my childhood. A really, really bad neighborhood. You know about the war? The Faunus Rights Revolution?"

Ruby nodded slowly.

"After everything ended, after we won our rights, we were allowed to spread out and settle down outside of the menagerie. We thought that we could go back into society, live among the humans, and show that we deserved the rights that we had just fought for."

Maia shook her head. "But it wasn't that easy, oh no, it couldn't be that easy. We were either denied the ability to live in human neighborhoods or we were constantly harassed and discriminated against if we moved in. Eventually we ended up in segregated neighborhoods." She motioned with her hands. "For example, the faunus would live on this side of town, and the humans would live on the other, better, richer side of town."

"We tried to preserve our history, maintain our proud ancestry, but we failed. The communities became cramped ghettos, the buildings deteriorated, and the overall standard of living decreased dramatically. Faunus couldn't find jobs, education was poor, and so the children of the next few generations roamed the streets, forming gangs or working minimum-wage jobs to make a living. They were essentially stuck in a cycle of self-destruction and urban decay, with nowhere to go yet unhappy with where they were.

She let out a breath and crossed her arms as she leaned back against the wall. "So that's where I grew up. I'm not too proud to say that I didn't take school seriously, that I joined a gang and spent my days doing questionable activities. There are a few memories that I'd like to forget and things that I'm still trying to make up for. I eventually went back to school, graduated, and got a job as a police officer. Ironic, I know, but it seemed fitting at the time.

"I'd like to say that I was fond of my old neighborhood, that it was great to be able to make a difference for the better, but honestly? My job was nothing like that. I was in constant danger when I patrolled the neighborhoods. Previous friends tried to bribe me, tried to use my position as a police officer to avoid being arrested. When they realized that I wouldn't budge, they abandoned me. I eventually arrested quite a few of them too.

"So when one of my superiors came to me with the offer to join the police force in New Haven, I immediately agreed. I thought that I could get a fresh start, somewhere where I wouldn't be burdened by the past. Obviously, it hasn't really turned out that way. This place is nearly as bad as my old neighborhood."

Maia yawned as she wrapped a strand of hair around her finger, tugging on it. "And that's my story. It's pretty depressing, but I'm glad I met you along the way."

Her rabbit ears drooped a little as she rubbed her face and struggled to keep her eyes open. "Now I'm getting all sentimental," she said, smiling tiredly.

Leaning over Ruby, she carefully unwrapped the bandage around her neck and checked to see if the wound was healing. Ruby tried to return her smile as Maia poked and prodded the area around the injury. The blood was only oozing slowly now, her flesh already knitting together.

"Looks like you're healing up pretty well," Maia noted. "I'm gonna go take a nap. Wake me up when you're healed and ready to go check on the other prisoners with me." With that, she closed her eyes and fell asleep instantly.

* * *

It took the better part of the hour for Ruby to feel as though her neck wasn't about to fall off and to regain full control of her body. After experimentally twitching each of her limbs, she pushed herself upright and cracked her neck from side to side, loosening the tightly-healed muscle fibers.

"Maia," Ruby whispered. "I'm okay now."

Maia's eyes opened a fraction before she closed them again. "A few more minutes, Rose," she murmured.

"Sure thing," Ruby said.

She sat next to Maia, getting as close as possible, and watched her chest move up and down as she slept. A few minutes later Maia's eyes blinked open as she let out a yawn. Ruby immediately shifted her gaze and watched Maia out of the corner of her eye as the rabbit faunus stretched out her deliciously long legs.

"Our sleep schedules are really messed up now, huh?" Maia commented.

"Yup," Ruby agreed. "We haven't had a good night's sleep in ages."

Maia rubbed her eyes wearily. "Alright, screw the prisoners. Let's finish our interrogation today and try to send them out, blizzard or no blizzard. I'll either get someone to drive the snowplow over or we'll just drag them with us."

Ruby grinned. "Sounds fun."

As Maia stood up, the nightgown cascaded back down her body, momentarily distracting Ruby. Recovering quickly, she followed Maia to the guest bedroom. The two of them tried to be stealthy as they crept to the door. Maia listened for a second before turning the doorknob.

The light from the lantern in the hallway illuminated the two figures on the bed. The cat faunus let out an involuntary mewl and the dog whimpered as they covered their eyes.

"Good, good," Maia muttered as she turned to leave.

"Wait," the cat faunus croaked weakly. She cleared her throat. "We… need to use the restroom," she said softly. "And maybe… some water?"

"Sure," Maia said, nodding. "Let me go get the keys. Rose, watch them."

Ruby nodded and watched Maia's behind as she strode out of the room. Once Maia was out of sight, she turned back to the two prisoners.

"So," Ruby drawled. "How's it going?"

The stared at her.

She tried again. "Did you have a good night's sleep? Well, I mean, besides for the interruption of course."

The cat hissed at her and the dog faunus snarled.

"Hey," Ruby said, stepping forward. "Come on, calm down."

The cat faunus shied back and swiped at Ruby, her hands harmlessly passing through the air. The dog faunus tried to lunge at her, making the metal bed-frame creak as he strained at his cuffs. Ruby looked forlorn as she backed away and folded her arms around herself.

Maia came in a few moments later, a metal key in her hand. She looked at the cowering faunus and Ruby's sad face and sighed.

The rabbit faunus unlocked the cuffs on the dog faunus and gestured with her hand. "You first," she ordered.

The dog fanunus hesitated and looked back at the cat. After the cat faunus had nodded slightly, he followed Maia into the hallway. The dog faunus limped, his legs a little wobbly, and held an arm around his ribs. He tried to speak but his damaged tongue turned his words into gibberish, making him huff in frustration.

After the dog faunus was done Maia led him back and shackled him to the bed again. As Maia unlocked the cat faunus' cuffs, the prisoner gestured helplessly at her partially paralyzed legs after attempting to move them.

"Let me carry you," Ruby offered.

The cat frantically shook her head and immediately backed up.

Maia nodded. "It's fine Rose, I can carry her."

The faunus flailed a little as Maia slung the cat faunus onto her shoulders. Ruby began following the two as they left the bedroom.

It was a brief gleam that gave it away, the light from the lantern in the hallway reflected on the knife. Ruby blinked forward in a dash of petals and ripped the knife out of the cat faunus' hand before throwing her against the wall.

Maia reacted quickly, immediately spinning around and taking a few steps back.

"Rose?"

The cat faunus cowered and held her side as Ruby stood over her, the knife in Ruby's hand.

"She almost stabbed you," Ruby breathed, her grip crushing and warping the knife.

Maia paused for a moment before turning back to the frightened cat faunus. "What the hell were you trying to do?" Maia shouted, growing angry.

Tears flowed down the cat faunus' face. "Y-you were going to kill us," she cried pitifully.

Maia groaned in frustration. "We weren't going to kill you," she said truthfully. "We're going to release you today, alright?"

She noticed Ruby advancing on the injured prisoner. "Rose, put the knife down," Maia said. "It was a misunderstanding. You'd do the same in her position."

Ruby growled, baring her teeth, then dropped the knife. The twisted metal hit the floor with a  _clang_  and made the cat flinch as it bounced toward her.

"Rose, why don't you go guard the dog?" Maia gently suggested.

Ruby gave Maia a quick hug. "I'm glad you okay," she whispered.

Maia smiled, petting Ruby's head. "Thank you for protecting me."

"She's going to kill him," the cat faunus whimpered as Ruby headed back for the guest room.

Maia picked up the misshapen knife and examined it. "He'll be fine," Maia said dismissively, palming the metal.

* * *

The dog faunus seemed to have a little vision remaining in one of his eyes, his reaction to bright light evident of that, but he still sniffed the air before turning to face Ruby. The two faced each other for a few minutes, Ruby wondering if he could see her clearly, before Maia returned with a glass of water in her hand and the cat faunus on her shoulder.

The cat faunus gasped in pain as Maia lowered her onto the bed and cuffed her limbs. The dog faunus broke his gaze with Ruby and gently lifted his companion into his lap. After she had whispered into his ear, he took on a resigned expression and leaned back against the headboard, holding the cat faunus in his arms.

Maia handed them the glass of water. The two of them finished the glass in a few gulps. The dog faunus tipped the glass back in an attempt to get the last few drops, then hefted the glassware in his hand, looking contemplative.

Maia cleared her throat and frowned pointedly as she held her hand out. The dog faunus grimaced and set the glass in her hand before turning back to examining his companion.

"We finish this now," Maia said as she closed the door. "Turns out this house wasn't built for containing multiple prisoners."

Ruby curiously followed her as Maia made a beeline for the kitchen. The rabbit faunus stopped, glanced at the clock, then pulled a cleaver out of the knife block.

"Do I get a knife?" Ruby asked eagerly as they headed back.

Maia rolled her eyes but grinned anyways. "It's just for scaring him if he's still stubborn," Maia reminded her.

"Alright, let's get this over with."

* * *

**Note:**

**And that was this chapter. Hopefully the length of the chapter satisfied you guys, along with the character bio for Maia :)**

**I'm going to do some shameless self-promotion: In the next few days I might be releasing another story called Shades of Gray. Alright, so the title has been ruined by a certain smut book that I will not mention, but trust me, it fits. It's a monochrome story in an alternate universe where Blake is a full-fledged member of the White Fang and Weiss the Schnee heiress who is running from her family.**

**We'll see how much I can get done for that story, I will definitely prioritize Blood Rose over it. I also have midterms too, sigh.**

**Welp, thanks for reading! Rate, review, comment, PM me, etc :D**


	58. Woops

"Grab the tablet," Maia said as she walked into the hallway. "Open up the voice recorder and keep it hidden."

"Oh, I get it," Ruby said, picking up the tablet from the table. She looked down at herself. "Can I just put this down my shorts or something?"

Maia looked faintly disgusted. "I'd rather you not, Rose. You realize you can just hold it behind your back, right?"

"Right."

The moment Maia opened the closet door the lynx faunus turned her head to glare at them. The wolf faunus immediately began rocking back and forth in his chair as he tried to shuffle away from the lynx faunus.

"Helpth," the wolf faunus gurgled in terror. "Geth me away fthrom here."

"Stop cowering," Maia said as she dragged his chair out of the closet. "She can't even move."

Ruby shut the closet door again, locking the other faunus inside as Maia pulled the wolf faunus to the living room. The rabbit faunus scooted the couch out of the way and set him down in front of the fireplace. Maia sat on the couch directly across from him and looked into his eyes with an exasperated expression. She exaggerated her motion as she set the cleaver down on the couch and leaned forward.

"I want you to speak clearly and tell me the truth," Maia said. She glanced at the cleaver. "Can you do that?"

The wolf nodded vigorously.

"Good. What happened? Why did the lynx hurt you?"

It took the wolf a few tries to talk around his broken teeth and his previously dislocated jaw. "I thried to call for helpth a-and sthe thtufted the 'owel in'o my mouth a-and thtomped on my f-facthe."

Maia stared at him. "Oh for god's sakes," she complained. "Can you repeat that again?"

It took a minute and multiple attempts before she was able to understand him.

Maia turned to the patiently standing Ruby and motioned Ruby toward her. Ruby leaned down and Maia whispered in her year. "Just casually put the tablet on the table behind us. It'll be able to pick up sound from there. Meanwhile, I want you to try to get some information from the lynx."

"Err, really?" Ruby whispered back. "You'd trust me with this?"

"Think of this as a test. Don't kill her, don't cripple her, don't seriously injure her. I want you to stay in control of yourself, alright?"

"Okay," Ruby said uncertainly.

"You can do this," Maia assured her. She gave Ruby a gentle slap on her back. "Have some confidence."

"Right," Ruby muttered. "Confidence."

As she walked out of the room, she heard Maia begin her questioning. "What's your name?…"

 _I know what to do_ , Ruby told herself. She was walking down the hallway and taking her time as she planned out how she was going to interrogate the lynx faunus.  _Maybe I should copy Maia. Throw her down the stairs or something. Break her fingers. Or better, I could just eat her fingers. Maybe I could just eat her. I wouldn't kill her, of course. Maia said I couldn't. I could just eat her slowly, and she would scream in pain and tell me everything. That's how it works, right? I'll just eat parts of her until she confesses. Yeah, that's a good idea. I like it. I should start eating her immediately. Maia would by happy it if I got faster results, right?_

Ruby opened the closet door. The lynx was contorted in an awkward position as she fumbled at her leg cuffs and hand cuffs, her arms still behind her back. The moment she saw Ruby come in, though, she stopped moving and fell limp.

_Oh, it's really small in here. Maybe I should take her to the basement. Maia wouldn't like it if her closet got really messy. I could splatter less onto the walls if I brought her to the basement._

Ruby easily picked up the lynx, slinging the prisoner onto her shoulder. The lynx hissed and tensed up.

"Where are we going?" the lynx asked suspiciously. "Put me down."

"Oh, I'm just relocating you to a bigger place," Ruby said absentmindedly.

Ruby didn't notice as the faunus began moving again. She entered the basement and closed the door behind her before walking down the steps. Meanwhile, the faunus contorted and reached for her legs cuffs without her captor noticing. Taking advantage of Ruby's absentmindedness, she worked desperately at the locks on her wrists and ankles.

Ruby reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around. The room was mostly clear. A few stacks of firewood and a few of the yellow Dust canisters she had seen a few days ago were still in the corner.

Ruby dropped the lynx onto the floor. She let out a grunt as she twisted in mid-air, trying to avoid landing on her injured arms.

"Hi there," Ruby began. "You should tell me who sent you, I think. If you don't, I'm going to eat you slowly and listen to you scream."

"Fuck you," the lynx spat.

In a flurry of motion the lynx sprang up and kicked Ruby, knocking her off-balance, then wrapped the steelsilk she had managed to untangle around Ruby's throat. Ruby clawed at the strands of steelsilk around her neck, her vision beginning to grow blurry as she lost circulation and began to choke.

The lynx faunus twisted the strands and tugged harder. She had one foot pressed against Ruby's back which kept Ruby facing away from her and also increased the amount of pressure the wires exerted against Ruby's throat. Despite the faint glow of aura surrounding her, Ruby's neck began to bend at an awkward angle as the metal bit into her skin. The blood flowing from the wound coated her neck and chest in a sheet of blood.

With a little  _ping_ , the thin strands of metal snapped under Ruby's fingertips. Her fingertips were completely shredded, the bone underneath finally proving hard enough to snap the metal.

"Ah, fuck," the lynx cursed in anger.

Ruby dizzily stumbled forward and hit the wall as she shook her head and tried to clear it. She left bloody handprints on the wall as she pushed herself upright.

A thick cord of wood smashed into the back of her knee. The wood shattered against Ruby's aura, but Ruby still stumbled as the lynx faunus attempted to dash past her and up the stairs.

But Ruby's mind had already cleared, so she grabbed onto the lynx faunus and threw her back into the basement even as she dropped to one knee. Slowly standing up, she began hobbling toward the panicking lynx.

"I don't want to fucking die," the lynx said frantically as she backed away. "I was just putting up a front so I could get myself free. Get the fuck away and I'll tell you everything!"

Ruby ignored her excuses as she made her way toward the lynx faunus. The lynx was looking around desperately and searching for something to use.

Ruby was nearly within arm's reach of the lynx faunus when she suddenly turned and threw one of the large containers of yellow Dust at her. Ruby reacted instinctively and swiped it out of the air with her forearm, shattering it and sending clouds of yellow Dust billowing into the room. The lynx gasped in horror at what she had done and immediately began to cough.

Ruby sneezed.

An explosion rocked the basement as the Dust ignited and exploded. Flames immediately began spreading across the basement walls, the fire eagerly licking at the bundles of firewood.

Ruby was thrown back toward the stairs. Her aura had protected her from part of the explosion, but her face and arms still felt burnt and she couldn't see out of one of her eyes. The unfortunate lynx faunus had caught the brunt of the blast. Her charred body was laying in bits around the room, a few less-burnt organs decorating the wall in various shades of red and pink and orange.

Ruby's head was ringing again as she slowly got up and headed for the stairs. The basement was becoming an inferno, the fire fueled by the dry wood and the wooden walls.

"Rose!"

The basement door was flung open, revealing Maia looking down the stairs. Ruby gave her a weak wave as she made her way up. Maia grimaced as she caught sight of Ruby's face, the mangled flesh illuminated against the backdrop of the fire. She raced down the stairs and picked Ruby up, ignoring her protests.

"Sorry," Ruby apologized.

"It's fine," Maia said as she carried Ruby into the hallway. "It's not my house anyways."

As she ran into the living room, she grabbed the tablet from the table and stuffed it down the front of her nightgown, then dragged the wolf in the chair with her as she ran out of the house.

"Stay here," Maia ordered as she deposited Ruby into the snow.

Ruby nodded. The swirling snowstorm obscured her vision as she watched Maia run back into the house.

Ruby wanted to help her. She straightened out her knee and felt a crack as the bones realigned, the lynx faunus's blow having previously knocked them out of place. The wolf's eyes were wide open as he stared at her injured face and watched her fix her leg.

Ruby ignored him as she stretched out her arms and cracked the layer of dried blood that was forming on her skin. The cold weather was already cooling her burn wounds down. She tentatively blinked her left eye and made sure that the contact lens was still in there. In her right eye, however, the lens had been fused to her eyeball.

She was already beginning to grow hungry, her body immensely taxed by the amount of damage it was being forced to heal. Still lying in the snow, she turned to look at the wolf faunus and sniffed the air. The faunus had accumulated some bruises and cuts throughout the whole ordeal and looked like an easy target to Ruby.

 _A snack before I go_ , Ruby decided. Shaking bits of ice off of herself, she slowly got up. She cracked her jaw and grinned, revealing her sharp teeth as she made her way toward the wolf.

Maia appeared out of the swirling storm. She was leading the dog faunus in one arm and carrying the cat faunus over her other shoulder.

"Behave yourself, Rose," Maia said as she set the cat faunus into the dog faunus's arms.

Ruby blinked, surprised, rocking back onto her heels. It took her a few seconds to regain her senses. "Maia, I need to go back in. My…  _stuff_  is still in there."

Maia looked at her frowning, then turned back to look at the smoking house. "If you say so. But if I see you go down, the first thing I'm gonna do is drag your ass back out of the house, alright?"

Ruby nodded, sprinting for the house. "I'm going to grab the safe!" she shouted.

Maia looked at the three faunus in front of her. "If you want to leave, go ahead. I don't need anything from you three anymore. Have fun in the blizzard."

Without a second glance, she ran back toward the house. "Rose, wait!"

Ruby looked back from the doorway. "What?" she yelled. "I need to go save all of my stuff!"

Maia caught up to her before speaking and grabbed her hand. "The safe will be fine if the house collapses. You won't be."

Ruby hesitated. "But-"

Maia interrupted her. "We have no  _time_ , Ruby. We need to get our other supplies out before the whole thing burns down."

"Are you sure, Maia?" Ruby asked pleadingly. "One-hundred percent sure?"

"Yes," Maia said impatiently. "House fires aren't hot enough to melt metal. Let's go already!"

After another moment of hesitation, Ruby nodded, and the two of them ran into the house.

"You're stronger than me," Maia said. "Grab the dresser with our clothes and move it outside. Don't break it, I don't want to be searching for clothes in the middle of a blizzard."

Smoke was beginning to seep through the cracks of the basement door as Ruby ran into Maia's room. With a quiet grunt, she hefted the piece of furniture and hugged it to her body as she ran out the door.

The drawer didn't perfectly fit through the door frame, and Ruby was in a hurry, so a corner of the wooden drawer smashed through the drywall as she stumbled into the hallway.

"Oops," Ruby muttered to herself.

Maia came out of the bathroom with a large laundry hamper in her arms. It was filled to the brim with the contents of the bathroom cabinets and other clothes, and Ruby thought she could see the edge of her police uniform poking out.

"Move!" Maia shouted, her voice filled with urgency.

Ruby heard creaking sounds as her feet slammed into the floorboards, each step making her wonder if she was about to fall through the floor. Maia was right behind her, her head turning side to side as she scanned to room to make sure nothing else was left behind.

The front door was a tight fit again, so Ruby adjusted her grip on the drawer and managed to only clip a tiny piece of the door frame before she made it outside. The snow immediately began obscuring her vision, the howling wind blowing bits of ice into her face.

Maia's hair whipped to the side in the wind as she stood in the doorway and took one last glance at the interior of the house. She bent down to pick up their boots from the entryway and tossed them away from the house and into the snow.

"Do you think I should get the knives?" Maia asked Ruby.

Ruby shrugged. "I just want the house to burn down so I can get my stuff," she said.

"Then we'll just wait."

They backed off to a safe distance and Ruby set down the dresser. The dresser was smeared with blood from Ruby's shredded fingertips. Ruby wiped her hands on her shorts as she watched the house smolder.

The other faunus seemed to be gone, a trail of footsteps leading back to the main city. The wolf faunus' chair lay sideways in the snow, the steelsilk ribbons scattered around the chair.

Ruby gathered up the steelsilk as Maia hopped onto the dresser and sat cross-legged, massaging her feet.

"Fu—Freaking cold," she muttered to herself. She looked up. "Rose, do you mind getting my boots? My toes are freezing off."

"Sure," Ruby said, looking around. "Where are they?"

Maia pointed to the indents in the snow and Ruby slogged over to the shoes. She threw Maia her pair of boots before putting her own on and walking over to Maia.

Maia wordlessly slid over and patted the spot beside her. Ruby sat down next to her and leaned against her, feeling Maia begin to shiver under her nightgown. Ruby tried to warm her up, hugging her, and also took the opportunity to surreptitiously touch the rabbit in various places.

"Not helping, Rose," Maia said after a few minutes, her teeth chattering and her hair covered in snow. "You're still really cold. There's a blanket in the bag and a coat in the laundry basket."

Ruby had just hopped to the ground to grab the clothing when a soft cracking sound emanated from the house. She was just able to make out part of the roof collapsing, the blizzard nearly obscuring the puff of smoke that came out of the wreckage.

Ruby handed a parka and a blanket to Maia before setting off for the house.

"Wait," Maia said. "You should stay back. The other tubes of Dust might have leaked, so there might be some more Dust explosions before the whole thing settles down."

Ruby huffed a little, impatient to get to her weapon, and sat back down onto the dresser. "So why didn't the other containers explode when I set off the explosion in the first place?"

Maia paused in her process of bundling herself up and stared at her. " _You_  set off the explosion? I thought lynx did some sort of suicide-bombing attempt."

"I think it was an accident," Ruby said. "She threw it at me, I broke it, Dust went everywhere, and then I sneezed."

"Damn," Maia said, shaking her head. "The other Dust didn't ignite because I keep explosive material like Dust in blast resistant containers. It's pretty surprising you even managed to break it. What were you doing in the basement anyways?"

Ruby began to speak but paused, revising a few details in her mind as she realized what she had nearly done. "Oh, well, I wanted to keep things nice and clean, and, uh, have bigger space to work with?"

"Stupid mistake," Maia sighed. "But I guess I should have pointed the Dust out to you. At least I don't actually own this house. So I assume that the lynx is dead?"

Ruby nodded and gestured with her hands. "She exploded. Boom. Splattered  _everywhere_."

"Aren't you at least a  _little_  traumatized?"

Ruby shook her head. "I've seen worse."

"Right," Maia said.

Ruby blinked the snow out of her eyelashes as she watched the house fire slowly fade away, running out of wood to burn. The howling winds and cold temperatures were also putting out the fire, and steam was rising from the ruins as snow continued to pelt the smoldering wood.

Despite the weather conditions, Ruby wondered whether anyone else would be able to see the smoke.

"How are we going to explain this?"

"Hmm?" Maia asked. Her eyes were half-closed as she buried herself in the blanket.

Ruby pointed at the house. "If someone asks us what happened to the house, what are we supposed to say?"

Maia yawned. "An unfortunate Dust accident occurred, I suppose. It's a damn shame that we lost all of the firewood."

Maia blinked sleepily and looked around, then shook the snow out of her hair. "Those idiots really went off by themselves," she commented. "If they're lucky, they'll make it to town with maybe some mild frostbite. If they aren't, we'll probably be finding their half-frozen bodies in the snow after the storm goes away."

"Do you think we should tell the police department?"

"Why not," Maia shrugged, pulling out the tablet.

Her fingers fumbled with the device a little, the cold making her fingers stiff.

"Rose, can you get the lantern out of the laundry basket? It's buried underneath all of the other stuff."

Ruby took the lantern out and flicked it on. A soft yellow glow spread out around them as Maia warmed her fingers on the glass surface before resuming her tapping on the tablet.

"Hello? Yes, I know it's early. My house burnt down. Dust accident. Three escaped, one died." Maia glanced at Ruby. "Yes, one of the prisoners set off the Dust explosion. I'm fine, I'm fine. I know you can't send help. Alright. Yes, I know. Okay. Bye."

Maia swiped the tablet shut and dropped it into the hamper. She moved the lantern closer to herself before speaking. "Alright, Rose, so here's the plan."

* * *

**Note:**

**God damn that was a long hiatus I took. I'm back now, midterms are over, and I'm going to speed up my writing.**

**The first chapter of the monochrome fic will be released soon after a few edits, once again, it's gonna be called Shades of Gray so keep an eye out if you are interested ^_^**

**I'm also gonna be working on a collab, more news on that later XD**


	59. Moving In

"We're going to 'relocate' to one of the empty houses down the street," Maia explained, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself. "Which means we're going to break into one of the houses and claim it as our own. Most of the houses are recent constructions, so I'm hoping we won't have to do much searching to find a house with a working plumbing system.

Assuming that the blizzard continues, most people are going to be staying inside. That means you probably won't have to go to your job, so I was wondering if you could go get some more supplies from town, and if you have time, some firewood."

"I can do that," Ruby agreed. "What about you?"

"I need to go to work," Maia said, grimacing. "Police still have to be active during these times, especially since there might be looters or robbers trying to take advantage of the situation. And of course, some people might actually need help if they're stranded."

Maia reached into the laundry hamper and pulled out her wallet from the pocket of a pair of pants. "Here's some lien," Maia said, handing Ruby a bound stack of plastic credits. "Try to budget the money. Make smart purchases. If you think someone is trying to scam you, call them out on it. And if you get lost, just call or message me and I can give you directions."

"In fact," Maia said, grabbing the tablet again, "Let me just give you the directions right now. I'll tell you where to buy stuff from so you won't have to spend the entire day searching for the right store."

"Err, won't they be closed?" Ruby asked, slipping the credits into her top.

"It depends," Maia said. "If the faunus live in their store, they'll probably open up if you knock on the door to get their attention. Otherwise, then yeah, the stores will be closed."

She closed the tablet and set it down, then began to warm her hands against the lantern again. "I just sent you a list of a few places that might be open, along with some basic supplies we'll need if the blizzard continues. I doubt any restaurants will be open, so getting consumables will be your first priority."

"Okay," Ruby agreed. "And if you want to save some money, I can go get some of the meat back at camp or I can go hunting."

Maia nodded as she hopped off of the dresser, her boots crunching in the snow as she kept the blanket wrapped around herself.

"I think the house should be sufficiently cool by now," Maia said, walking toward the ruins.

Ruby got up and followed her. "Will my stuff be okay?"

"The safe is a solid block of metal. It  _should_  be fine, but we'll probably have to do a lot of digging if anything collapsed on it."

The front of the house was still standing, the front door still wide open. Ruby could see a gaping hole in the middle of the floor, the wood around it blackened, and the interior of the hole filled with wooden beams from the roof. As they got closer, the sound of sizzling water was audible as the falling snow hit the wooden beams.

Ruby kneeled at the edge of the hole and began to lower herself in, but Maia shook her head.

"Try the stairs first," Maia suggested. "We're not in that much of a hurry. They'll understand if I get to work late because my house burned down."

"Right," Ruby said nervously, quickly walking to the basement.

The floor collapsed, and she barely had time to let out a squeak of surprise before falling through and smashing into the wreckage below. A spear of wood pierced her thigh as she landed awkwardly on her back.

"Rose?" Maia asked. "You okay down there?"

"Perfectly fine," Ruby lied, ripping the shard of wood out of her leg. "It was a nice little shortcut."

Ruby looked up and reoriented herself using the floor above her. She had landed near the base of the stairs, at the edge of the main wreckage. A few larger beams of wood stuck out of the main pile of rubble and blocked her way to the safe, so she flared her aura and smashed her way through.

Ruby ripped out the burnt pieces of the wall and sighed with relief as she pulled the safe out. The safe's exterior was a covered with a layer of ash but was otherwise intact. She twisted the lock and frowned as she realized that she didn't have the key.

"Maia, I need the key," Ruby yelled, craning her head to look at her. "Could you get it and throw it down here?"

Maia looked down into the basement. "Yeah. Give me a second, I'll be right back."

As Maia jogged out of sight, Ruby flared her aura and began twisting the handle of the safe. She stopped when she realized that Maia might get angry if she ruined it, and instead decided to shake it and listen to her weapon slide around inside.

"I'm back," Maia called. "Here, catch."

Ruby looked up and held out her hand, indicating for Maia to drop the key. Ruby snatched it out of the air and immediately inserted it into the lock, frantically twisting and pulling until the safe's door swung open.

Her belongings were inside, untouched by the fire. Ruby hurriedly slid her weapon out and unfolded it, shuddering with delight as she touched her  _precious_. She stroked the cool metal with her fingertips, caressing the blade and letting it nick her skin, and made a mental note to do maintenance on the weapon the next time she was free.

Maia just watched from above, her arms crossed and eyebrows raised, a small smile on her face as she watched Ruby refamiliarize herself with her weapon.

Ruby looked up after a minute of cradling her weapon, feeling embarrassed as she realized that Maia had been watching her the entire time. She grabbed the bundle of cloth that held her belongings with her free hand and began climbing the pile of wood in the center of the room, stabbing her scythe into the larger pieces to keep herself steady on the unstable mound.

"Do you see any tubes of Dust down there?" Maia asked.

Ruby paused and looked around. "I think I see one sticking out of this pile of wood. Do you want me to look for the other ones?"

Maia considered it for a second before shaking her head. "That should be enough, I think. I'll see if I can get more today."

Ruby hopped down the pile to grab the tube of Dust, stuffing it into her bundle, then resumed climbing. When she reached the top of the pile she leapt toward the floor above her. She easily cleared the height and slammed her scythe into the floor to slow herself down, her boots skidding on the snow-covered floorboards. After coming to a stop she ripped the scythe out of the floor and folded it shut, tucking it under her arm.

"What happened to your leg?" Maia asked, noticing the trickle of blood down her pale thigh.

Ruby touched the wound and found a scab already forming. "I landed on a sharp piece of wood," she admitted sheepishly. "Don't look so worried! I'm okay, it stopped bleeding already." Her stomach growled. "I'm a little hungry, though."

"Can we you wait a little longer?" Maia asked.

Ruby nodded.

"Then we'll find a house first, and then you can go back to your camp and get some food," Maia decided. "Do you mind grabbing the dresser?"

"No problem," Ruby said, setting her bundle and weapon on top of the dresser and picking it up.

Maia pointed toward one of the neighboring houses. "We'll head toward that one. Try not to slip in the snow and break anything."

Hefting her own laundry basket, Maia set out toward the house with Ruby in tow. The weight of the cabinet caused Ruby to sink down to knee-level in the snow as she walked, a bit of ice making its way into her boot, but she ignored it and soldiered on. The uneven landscape hidden underneath the snow made her stumble, but she managed to right herself before struggling after Maia, who seemed to be having little difficulty navigating the terrain.

The neighboring house was a little further from the wall than the old house, but it looked almost exactly the same. Maia set down her hamper and fished out a set of keys. She tried them on the lock and frowned.

"Guess I'll have to go through the kitchen window," she muttered.

Ruby set the drawer down and stretched out her stiff limbs, then checked to make sure that her belongings were okay. Maia disappeared off to the side of the house, and Ruby heard a tiny  _crack_  as Maia broke the latches on the shutter. A few seconds later, the front door opened up and Maia stepped back outside.

The two of them hefted their burdens and maneuvered themselves through the doorway, Ruby taking extra time to make sure she didn't damage this house as well. The layout of the interior was the same as their previous house, so Ruby carried the dresser back to what she assumed would be Maia's room.

The bedrooms contained beds with mattresses stored in waterproof plastic storage bags. Maia followed Ruby into the room and set the hamper down, then began sorting through the clothes and utilities she had placed inside. She flicked the dimming lantern on and headed to the bathroom with an armload of items.

Ruby looked down at herself, shrugged, then took the credits out of her top and began changing out of her clothes. She was struggling out of her top when Maia came back in, a towel draped on her arm. A sudden wave of self-consciousness overtook her, making her blush as she tried to pull her top back on.

Maia didn't seem to notice. "Take a shower before you change," she said. "I checked, the plumbing still works. If you need anything, just ask. And see what you can do about your injured eye."

Ruby blinked experimentally as she realized that she still wasn't able to see out of her right eye. She hadn't really noticed her lack of vision in the blizzard outside, but with the lantern now dimly illuminating the room her right eye's blindness became apparent.

"Is the contact still stuck in there?" Ruby asked, her lack of clothing momentarily forgotten as she moved her head closer to Maia and pointed at her eye.

Maia nodded as she brushed a hand against Ruby's face, bits of dried blood flaking off beneath her fingers. "Wash the blood off in the shower and see how much damage the explosion did. If it's too visible I can bandage the area so it won't be as noticeable."

Ruby took the towel from her and covered herself up, smiling gratefully. "Don't worry, my scars fade after a while," Ruby assured her. "The bandage idea sounds good for now, though. People would probably wonder how I suddenly got scars on my face."

She began making her way to the bathroom, Maia following her with the Dust lantern. A wave of dizziness swept her as she took a few steps down the hallway, her lack of depth perception and hunger disorienting her. She managed to trip over her own feet and stumble into the wall as she let out a small yelp.

"Here, let me help you," Maia said as she offered her shoulder to Ruby.

Ruby braced herself against the faunus's shoulder and continued toward the bathroom. "I'll be fine," Ruby mumbled. "Just need to catch my breath."

"Uh huh," Maia said disbelievingly.

The bathroom was a little cramped and poorly lit. The window shutters were closed and latched, the only source of light the dimming Dust lantern.

Ruby let go of Maia as she stepped into the shower and supported herself against the shower wall. "I, um, need to take this towel off now," Ruby said, blushing.

Maia frowned a little as she looked at Ruby. "We may have to revise our plans," Maia said. "Call me when you're done with the shower, alright? I don't want you slipping and cracking your head open or something."

"Okay, okay," Ruby agreed. "Geez, why are you so worried?"

Maia raised an eyebrow. "You were caught in a Dust explosion, impaled in the leg, and you're blind in one eye. You look exhausted and hungry. Why wouldn't I be worried?"

Ruby opened her mouth to protest but couldn't find anything to say.

Maia chuckled. "Right, I'll leave you to your shower now."

Ruby made sure Maia had left the room before taking the towel off and placing it on top of the counter. She turned the shower knob most of the way to the right before tugging it toward her. The stream of water that came out was ice-cold at first, but Ruby didn't pay it any mind as she began washing her hair.

By the time she was clean, she was sitting down on the floor of the bathtub, the steaming water beginning to turn cold again as it splashed against her head. She was nearly asleep, the warmth of the water and her complaining body encouraging her to rest.

The task of shutting off the flow of water felt monumental, but Ruby managed to weakly raise an arm and flail at the shower knob until the water stopped. "I'm done!" Ruby called to Maia, feeling a little ridiculous.

She barely managed to get to her feet and grab her towel before Maia came in, triumphantly holding a can of food. She had already dressed in her work clothes—her uniform, belt, and boots neatly in place.

"Look what I found," Maia said, helping Ruby out of the shower. "Food! I nearly forgot that all of the houses are stocked for emergencies."

"Food?" Ruby asked, her stomach growling at the mention of the word. "Is it edible?"

Maia shrugged. "Probably. It can't have been here for long." She looked at the can. "Some sort of ground meat, I think."

Ruby looked at the small can, her fingers clenching her towel as she resisted the temptation to grab the can and rip it open and devour its contents. "Is there any more? I don't think that's enough for me."

"There's more," Maia promised. "Besides, you're not in any condition to go back to your camp. Go put on your clothes and we'll go eat. I've already hung up our clothes in the closet and sorted out the dresser."

"Can I have some food right now?" Ruby asked pleadingly. "Please?"

Maia took a glance at Ruby. "Wait right here," she said quickly, setting down the can. "Let me go grab the can opener and open a few more cans."

Ruby snatched the container and immediately began prying at it, the thin metal easily tearing apart beneath her fingers. She raised it over her mouth, making sure to catch most of the meat as she tore the can apart and began eating it with her fingers.

"And some utensils," Maia amended before leaving the room.

Ruby finished the small tin of meat quickly, immediately feeling better despite still being hungry. She readjusted her towel and grabbed the lantern, then made her way to the kitchen. Maia was opening up more cans, glancing up as Ruby walked in and set the empty tin on the countertop.

"Feeling better?"

"Yup. Still hungry, though."

Maia gestured toward the counter. "I've opened up some more cans so you won't have to mangle them. I've got to go to work soon, so try not to make a mess."

Ruby chose one at random and began eating, the taste of ham filling her mouth. "How are you going to get to work?" she asked through a mouthful of food.

"Finish eating before you speak," Maia scolded her. "I'll have to walk there by myself. Hopefully the snow lets up a bit so I don't freeze to death."

Ruby swallowed her mouthful. "Wait, let me go with you," she said hurriedly. "I have to go shopping too, remember?"

Maia nodded. "Yeah, we can go together." She set the can opener down. "Okay, let me take a look at your face," she said, bringing the lantern closer.

Ruby sat still as Maia shined the light on her face. "I think the contact is stuck in my eye."

"Mhm. Seems so." Maia poked the skin around her eye. "Does this hurt?"

Ruby shook her head.

"The burns seem to have mostly healed, but there are still some scars that are pretty noticeable. Does the contact in your left eye feel uncomfortable in any way?"

Ruby blinked her undamaged eye, realizing that she forgot to take it out before showering. "I almost forgot it was there," Ruby confessed. "Is it okay to leave it in?"

"You can leave those in for a week or two. Those are permeable soft contacts," Maia explained.

"Great, so I can just leave them on for today?"

"Yeah. It'd probably still be better if you took them off tonight like you usually do. You don't want to run the risk of getting some sort of infection and going blind in both eyes."

Ruby made a muffled sound of agreement as she continued eating. Maia handed her a spoon and also began to eat.

As they ate, Maia swiped her tablet open from where it lay on the countertop and checked the time. "Let's finish eating quickly. I still need to bandage your face and I'm already late to work."

Ruby cleaned out the bottom of the can of tuna and set her spoon down. "I'm good for now, I'll eat more when I get back. I'll go get dressed while you eat."

"Good idea. Meet me in the bathroom when you're ready, I'll have the bandages and tape there."

Making sure that the towel didn't slip, Ruby walked back to their bedroom and began looking for clothes to wear. She took her undergarments from the dresser and grabbed a long-sleeved shirt from the closet. After choosing a pair of grey sweatpants over a pair of jeans and transferring the lien over to the pants, she headed toward the bathroom.

Ruby was searching for the bandages and tape as Maia came in, carrying the lantern. She washed her hands and face, then pulled open one of the cabinets at along the bottom of the sink.

Maia gestured toward the mirror. "You should probably take a look at your face if you haven't already. Your injuries looked really bad a few hours ago, but your skin has healed over quite quickly. The scars are also surprisingly small, probably because your aura took the brunt of the blast, but they're still noticeable. How long do you think you'll take to fully heal?"

Ruby used the dim light of the lantern to check her face in the mirror. A few red marks showed on the right side of her face, some of the flash burns crossing over her eye. Her right eye was still blind, the blue contact melted into it. "These don't look too bad," Ruby decided. "Maybe a few days? I don't know about the contact that's stuck in my eye, though."

Maia shrugged. "Give it some time, then. Maybe your body will reject it like it did with the metal knives."

She began to unwind the roll of bandages. "I'm going to put the gauze pad over your eye before I wrap the right side of your face with bandages, alright? The main thing we're trying to do here is to hide the severity of your injuries, so that when you heal up people won't start asking questions."

"What if the contact never comes out?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"Then we can just cut it out. I don't want to mess around with it for now, though, in case we injure your eye permanently in some way. Unless you've had eye wounds in the past…?"

Ruby shook her head.

"Then we'll wait a few days and see what happens."

Maia put the finishing touches on the head wrap, taping the ends together, then stood back and admired her work. "I think I've done a fairly good job," she said as she dropped the supplies back into the cabinet.

Ruby examined herself in the mirror. The bandages covered the right half of her face, and the thick gauze pad was a little uncomfortable against her eye. The disconcerting feeling of missing half her vision and the way the bandage pressed her hair against her head was uncomfortable, but the wrap did a good job of disguising her injuries and it only covered the minimal amount necessary, so Ruby didn't complain.

"We should probably go now." Maia's ears twitched. "I think the blizzard may have died down a bit, although it might start up again."

"Right," Ruby said, looking away from the mirror.

She took a few steps forward, her body and mind already beginning to compensate for the loss of depth perception. Maia walked with her, ready to catch her if she stumbled again. As they headed toward the front door Maia grabbed her tablet and slipped it into her bag, then pulled on her thick parka. Ruby also stopped to take her tablet out of her pouch and slip it into the deep pockets of her sweatpants before putting on her boots and opening the door.

Maia pulled on her hood as a blast of cold air and snow greeted them. She muttered a curse under her breath.

"I'll go ahead of you," Ruby offered. "I can block some of the wind."

"You're going to get lost," Maia pointed out.

Ruby scoffed. "I'll be fine. I just need to follow the road and walk toward the city, right?"

Maia looked down at the thigh-deep snow. "Rose, have you gone blind in both eyes?"

Ruby looked down, mildly surprised. "Oh."

The two of them began walking toward town, Maia leading the way.

* * *

**Note:**

**Thanks to my editor, Pozsich, for editing this chapter!**

**So, an update, finally. Sorry for the long wait, gah, really busy and stuff. More details in my profile, if you care enough to take a look.**

**As for my monochrome story, I have one chapter done and just waiting, but I sort of want to do more work on the story before publishing it, so maybe it will get released with the next chapter of Blood Rose. I don't really want to publish one chapter and then make people wait forever before they can read the next one.**

**Anyways, thank you for reading, and I'll try to get more chapters done! I'll still be extremely busy for another month or so, and then maybe I can start picking up speed. I was planning on doing chapters during my spring break, except as an someone living on the East Coast we didn't really have a spring break because the sheer amount of snow days used cannibalized it.**

**Enough of my rambling. Once again, thanks for reading, and thank you for sticking with me this long!**


	60. Shopping

The two of them eventually crossed into the town after half an hour of briskly jogging through the snow. Ruby could hear Maia muttering under her breath about the "damned cold" the entire time, only briefly pausing every few minutes to adjust her parka and shiver a little.

The town was, for the most part, quiet. The streets were nearly deserted, most people unwilling to face the bitter wind. A few brave souls were vainly attempting to clear the snow building up at their doorsteps, their faces hidden deep within their hooded cloaks as they fought the constant flurry.

Maia turned around, her hand clenching the sides of her hood together. "Looks like these shops are all closed," she said, her voice muffled. "You probably won't have much luck looking for the stores on the list I gave you. If you're feeling better, you could go back to camp for supplies, or you could just rest at home and get some more sleep."

"Don't worry, I'll find a way to get the supplies," Ruby promised. "I'm not going to let you down."

Maia frowned a little. "Just don't do anything… illegal, alright?"

"Sure!" Ruby answered, then whispered to herself, "At least I'll try not to."

"I heard that," Maia said, rolling her eyes.

"No fair," Ruby complained. "You have a hood covering your ears."

Maia grinned and turned back around, resuming their walk. A few of the main roads had been half-heartedly cleared with a snowplow, but the sidewalks were still covered in a thick layer of powdery snow.

"Aren't the roads just going to be covered with snow again?" Ruby pointed out. "You guys aren't using road salt or anything."

Maia shrugged. "I don't decide how the town uses the snowplows. I think we have road salt, but no one bothers to use it because so few people even use vehicles here."

The police station was just as Ruby remembered it—the dull, rectangular building built with yellow and white brick, the curtained windows spaced across the front. An iron fence surrounded the building, and the entrance was a metal gate with a scanner on the side.

"Well, the lights are on, so someone must have arrived already," Maia decided, pulling out her card and pressing it to the scanner. The gates clicked and began to slide open.

"See you later, I guess," Ruby said dejectedly, giving Maia a hug.

Maia smiled and tousled the young girl's hair. "Stay safe."

Ruby waved and watched the rabbit faunus longingly until she entered the building. Brushing the snowflakes off of her eyelashes, Ruby took out her tablet and swiped it open. After it loaded up, Ruby opened the message Maia had sent her and began going down the list of potential stores.

After a few minutes of browsing and thinking, Ruby realized that the names didn't really mean anything to her. She didn't actually remember their locations or even recognize them.

 _That's fine, I'll just go down the streets I know and see if any of the stores are open_ , Ruby thought to herself.  _I'm sure I can find some of the shops that way._

She began retracing her steps from the police station, trying to find the butcher shop they had stopped by only two days ago. It took her a while to make her way to the store, but she eventually found her way there. Unfortunately, a "closed" sign hung in the front window, and the chair behind the counter was empty.

Ruby sighed and adjusted the bandages around her eye. Next, she grabbed the doorknob and ripped it off, then smashed her fist through the wooden door and ripped the bolt out. Shaking the wood splinters off of her hand, she pushed the door open and walked inside, taking a quick peek behind her before closing the door. She attempted to shove the bolt back through the ruined door and into the slot in case someone attempted to come inside before setting the doorknob onto the counter.

A stack of paper bags lay on the counter. The display cases were empty, but Ruby was sure there'd be meat in the store room. If not, well then she'd have to go look for another store, or go hunting. Whichever one was faster.

She grabbed two bags and hopped the counter, heading for the door behind it. A hallway was to her left, but she ignored it, assuming that the storage room would be closer to the display cases.

The door to the storage room was, surprisingly, unlocked. The odor of frozen meat and blood greeted her as she walked into the decently-sized meat locker, racks of ribs and slabs of meat hanging on the hooks suspended from the ceiling. Her breath fogged the air as she took a deep breath and exhaled it. She looked around the room, wondering what to take.

Hung among the produce like another slab of meat was the shopkeeper, his arms impaled on two of the hooks, a third hook going through his back. Blood slowly dripped out of his lacerated arms and the multitude of holes decorating his body. He was nearly naked, only wearing a pair of boxers, as though he had been dragged out of his bed.

Ruby blinked in surprise and moved forward, extending a hand to touch the bear faunus's body. His pale skin was cold, his eyes closed. Yet in spite of his deathly appearance, his body suddenly shuddered as he took a labored breath, perhaps in response to her touch.

It took her a moment to recover and consider her options. On one hand, she could call the Maia, and thus the police, and possibly get in trouble for breaking and entering. On the other hand, she could call the police and possibly save this person's life…

She pulled her tablet out of her pocket, then remembered something and nearly snapped it in half when she involuntarily clenched her hands. Didn't Maia tell her not to do anything illegal?

She decided to call the police directly instead, attempting to remember the short string of numbers from when Maia dialed the police. The man left out a soft moan as she swiped her tablet open and she began dialing.

It was a few tense moments before someone picked up.

"New Haven police services, how may we assist you today? We are currently receiving a high volume of calls, so please bear in mind that assistance may come later than usual."

Adopting a breathy, whispery tone, Ruby gave the dispatcher a fake name and told the dispatcher the street the butcher shop was on along with the details of the situation. The dispatcher immediately sounded alert, her voice changing in intensity.

"Thank you, ma'am. Our officers and an ambulance will arrive shortly. Please stay where you are so we can ask you a few quest—"

Ruby immediately hung up and tucked the tablet back into her pocket. She ripped two sizable chunks of meat off of the nearest rack of ribs, then dropped them into her paper bags before sprinting out of the room. She hopped the counter again, ripped the bolt back out of the door, then ran down the nearest alleyway.

She came out on the other side of the alley, fortunately in a place she recognized. Slowing her pace, she attempted to casually hold her two bags of stolen goods as she walked down the road. The snow was still falling quickly, ice and flurry settling on her hair even as she brushed it off.

The dim morning light guided Ruby as she made her way to the noodle shop that catered to herbivores. That entire area was filled with shops that sold mostly vegetarian food product and vegetables. She doubted any of them would be open, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Besides, she could always break in and leave the money at the counter.

A little past the noodle restaurant was a grocery store that was not too unlike the stores back in Vale. The door at the front was locked, but Ruby once again broke off the doorknob and forced her way through the bolt. There was a little bit of noise as she opened the door, but it was otherwise mostly silent.

The grocery store was not too large, but it was still large enough to have a wide variety of produce to sell. Each of the shelves had a small misting device that seemed to periodically spray the leafy produce so constant maintenance wouldn't be required. Ruby wasn't really sure what Maia liked, so she just grabbed three grocery bags from the stand near the front door and began filling them with vegetables that she knew tasted okay.

Ruby was almost done filling up her third bag when the sound of slippers against wood emanated from a door in the back of the store. She quickly dropped her bags and began pulling lien out of her pockets, counting out the price listed on the shelves as the person hurried down the stairs.

She had taken the lien from her pockets and was holding it out as a peace offering when someone burst from the back doors holding a shotgun that was aimed at Ruby's face. The stranger wore a turtleneck sweater and woolen leggings, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had gleaming black feathers in her hair, light-brown skin, and was now staring at Ruby, teeth bared.

"You think you can rob my store just because you're a snake?"

Ruby blinked. "Uh, err, no? …Wait, yes?"

The woman snarled. "Don't play dumb with me!" She waved the shotgun menacingly. "You know, ravens kill and eat snakes all the time. I don't think anyone would doubt me if I told them I killed you in self-defense."

Ruby looked at her doubtfully. "Okay, I'm just going to leave now, alright? I'll leave the money here and—"

The raven faunus looked past her and frowned. "You broke my door," she said accusingly. "Did you leave enough money to cover that?"

Ruby hastily pulled some more lien out of her pocket. "Is this enough?"

"Are you stupid or something? Doors aren't cheap, especially not here in New Haven." The woman thought for a moment. "Alright, don't move an inch. I'm going to call the police and we're going to get this settled out."

"I would really appreciate if you didn't call the police," Ruby pleaded.

The woman scoffed as she slowly circled Ruby at a distance, heading for her counter. "You'll get everything that's coming to you, thief," she spat.

Ruby slowly set the bags down, careful not to damage the items inside. An explosion of rose petals later, she was standing right behind the raven faunus, one hand gripping the faunus's slender neck and the other ripping the shotgun out of her hand.

"Please don't call the police," Ruby repeated, the faunus choking due to the sudden lack of air. "Just forget I was here and—"

In a sudden whipping motion, the faunus grabbed the shotgun back while simultaneously elbowing Ruby in the head, disorienting Ruby despite her aura and making her head snap back. The surprisingly strong and agile bird faunus took the opportunity to force her way out of Ruby's grip, leaving a bit of her skin behind as she tore her way free.

In a single fluid motion, she turned around and pressed the shotgun against Ruby's chest before firing. The pellets slammed into Ruby's chest and made her grunt, knocking her back a step. The faunus's eyes widened just the slightest as the metal beads clattered to the floor, but she didn't hesitate in pulling back the slide to fire off another round.

Ruby attempted to sweep to the gun off to the side, but the faunus had already backed away out of her reach. The raven fired again, the bullets managing to rip holes in Ruby's shirt as she was pushed back, her aura beginning to fade. Ruby dashed behind the faunus in a shower of rose petals, but the when she arrived the raven already had the shotgun shoved up against her chest.

A wisp of dull black aura swirled around the opening of the shotgun. "Predictable," the faunus said, smirking as she pulled the trigger.

The dust-infused pellets sunk into Ruby's chest as they flung her backwards and into a shelf of vegetables, the leafy greens crunching underneath her as they cushioned her fall. Despite being disoriented by the roar of the blast and the force of the bullets, she still had the sense to drop to the tiled floor and mostly dodge the next shot, some pellets ripping the fabric of her sleeve.

Ruby found herself within arm's length of her bags of groceries. She scooped them up in an instant and dashed to the door, a trail of rose petals drifting behind her as she tumbled outside into the snow and made her escape. An outraged cry came from the shop as Ruby stumbled into the nearest alley and began moving forward, the thick snow slowing her progress down considerably.

Ruby clutched the five bags of groceries to her chest, ignoring the blood that was staining them, and began running horizontally on the walls to the sides of the alley, pushing herself off of the walls to build speed as she approached the dead end of the alley.

The moment she reached the brick wall, she jumped and slammed her boots against it, transferring her moment to run up the vertical surface. The sound of gunfire and a spread of bullets cracked the wall where she had just been as she ran up the wall.

Ruby cleared the roof with a few extra feet to spare, briefly soaring through the air, then landed on both feet and continued running. After a few seconds, she glanced back and saw the bird faunus hauling herself over the roof and glaring at her, the shotgun holstered on her back.

"I left all my money in your store!" Ruby shouted as she ran across the roof.

"It's not enough!" the faunus shouted back.

Ruby reached the edge of the roof and leapt to the next building. The raven faunus did the same, but her jump carried her much further than Ruby's jump, almost as if she were flying. She landed only a few feet away from Ruby, the roof shingles shattering underneath her feet despite her graceful landing, then whipped out her shotgun and took aim once more.

Attempting to do something unexpected, Ruby dropped to her stomach and slid over the edge of the roof, letting go of the shopping bags as she dragged her body and hands against the side of the building to slow her fall before landing in the snow.

The bags had luckily landed upright, most of the groceries still inside. Ruby grabbed them with her bloody fingers and ran down the alley. The raven landed in the snow behind her, ready to fire, but Ruby had already turned a corner and left her field of vision.

Ruby was panting at this point, desperately covering her mouth as she attempted to muffle herself. She was already injured and nearly out of aura, so she realized that she had to turn back and fight now, or else she'd eventually be shot in the back.

Thus, when the raven faunus came around the corner, Ruby was prepared, her fists slamming like a hammer into the raven faunus's midsection and her legs then swiping the faunus's feet out from under her. The black-haired woman let out a surprised gasp before thudding into the wall face-first with a crunching noise, blood spurting from her nose as she fell onto her back in the snow, gasping and dazed.

Ruby kicked the faunus in the side to flip her over, the raven's weak aura flickering out to the sound of snapping ribs. She then stood there for a moment, the faunus's heaving body that was wracked with coughs inducing visions of bloodlust in her head. She knelt down and gripped the raven's jaw, wrenching the faunus's neck awkwardly to the side as she gazed into the injured faunus's furious liquid black eyes.

Ruby gently brushed a few strands of black hair from the raven's cheek. The faunus responded by spitting blood into her face as she spat curses.

Ruby blinked and settled back.

"Sorry," Ruby said apologetically, wiping the saliva and blood off of her face. "I'll come back around with the rest of the money next time, promise. How much was it again?"

The raven tried to say something but only ended up coughing again, a rattling noise emanating from her chest as she turned her head to the side and dribbled blood onto the snow.

"Uh, I didn't quite catch that."

"…"

Ruby leaned in closer. "What?"

"Fuck… you…" the raven wheezed, weakly reaching for her shotgun.

Ruby pulled the shotgun out of the holster before the faunus could grab it, then, as an afterthought, stripped the faunus of her holster too.

"I'll, uh, give this back to you with the money," Ruby promised. "I just don't really feel like being shot again."

The raven glanced at Ruby's chest wounds and shook her head. "Freak," she muttered while coughing.

Ruby strapped the holster to herself and tightened it. "Well I'm going to go now," she said. "You need a lift back?"

The raven stared at her, eyes squinted. "What?"

"Do you need a ride back?" Ruby repeatedly slowly. "I can carry you."

"Is this some sort of trick?" the faunus coughed. "I get it, you got me already, you don't need to gloat anymore."

Ruby watched as the snow piled onto the raven's body. The faunus had one hand covering her nose as she stared into the sky, lightly coughing, blood trickling out from beneath her fingers. Another arm was wrapped around her midsection as she began to lightly shiver.

"If you die, I can't pay you back," Ruby said helpfully. "Unless you can call someone for help right now?"

"Tablet's back in the shop," the faunus simply said.

Ruby shifted a little on her feet and glanced at her groceries. "Well, um, I should really get going soon. Are you sure you don't need any help?"

The raven attempted to sit up, but immediately collapsed in pain, taking shallow breaths as she held her side.

"Ah, fuck it," the raven groaned. "You got me good. I think you broke my ribs. Sure, whatever, take me back. Let's just get this over with."

Ruby slipped the handles of the bags over her arms, then crouched to pick up the faunus, cradling her in Ruby's arms.

"Oh god, this is embarrassing," the raven faunus moaned. "I hate you so much right now."

"Don't try anything funny," Ruby warned her.

The faunus only coughed in response.

Ruby brightened up a little as they began walking. "Nice to meet you, by the way. I'm Rose. What's your name?"

"…Roxie."

"That's a nice name. Do you live by yourself in your store? Your store is nice, by the way. Sorry about the door."

Roxie sighed, staring into the sky in an attempt to distract herself.  _Hopefully she won't kill me before we get back._

* * *

**Note:**

**THANKS TO MY EDITOR POZSICH FOR HIS AMAZING EDITING HE IS AWESOME FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME. Check out his stories!**

**Nothing else much to say here. Sorry about the super long hiatus. Next chapter hopefully within a week, along with the monochrome fic, although I might have to start revising some plans based upon the new information we're getting from Volume 2.**

**If you're still reading this, thank you for sticking with me!**


	61. Storytime

Roxie hadn't been happy about the whole situation, but she had cheered up a bit when Ruby had decided to return the shotgun when she got back to the shop instead of keeping it until she paid Roxie back. Besides, Ruby wouldn't have been able to keep it without Maia asking her questions.

It had taken the rest of the day, but Ruby had somehow managed to find a shop selling whetstones and mineral oil. She had been wary about breaking in and getting shot, but she managed to liberate the items without incident and left a note saying that she'd taken a few things and would pay the shopkeeper back as soon as possible.

After getting home, Ruby made a quick trip up the side of the walls to see if any grimm were near the city. Seeing that things seemed to be alright for now, she covered her footprints and made her way down, heading home to change.

The bloody and torn clothes were buried in the ground, underneath the snow. Ruby hoped that Maia wouldn't notice if a few clothes went missing. Most of them were nearly the same, anyways, with a few dull color variations.

Ruby had finished sharpening her scythe and was wiping it down with a scrap of fabric when Maia returned. The rabbit faunus had a frustrated look on her face, and Ruby noticed that she had blood on her gloves.

Maia flopped onto the couch with her satchel on her knees, resting her forearms on top of it.

Ruby wondered what was wrong. Did Maia find out about her break-ins? Or was it just a normal day of work? Maybe it had to do with the increased crime rate that she mentioned, or the whole issue with the predators and herbivores…

Maia answered the question for her.

"We found a butcher, a bear faunus, hanging on meat hooks in the back of his own shop. He was almost dead, mostly from blood loss, but we got him to a hospital in time. He's currently in critical condition, and they're looking for blood donors, but he's tough and we're hopeful that he'll pull through and be able to answer some of our questions."

Ruby made surprised expressions and nodded at the appropriate moments.

"Want to see the pictures?" Maia asked, pulling out her tablet. "You might recognize him as the owner of the meat shop we stopped by a few days ago."

Ruby nodded again and took the tablet, scrolling through the images. "Wow, that's, um, unlucky. For him, I mean."

"That was just the first case that was reported today," Maia said, sighing. "We have reports of more incidents of violence from all over New Haven."

Ruby could only nod and hand the tablet back.

"I'm pretty sure it's retaliation against the predator attacks that have also been happening recently," Maia said. "Remember the people who attacked you before? The two who came after you in the bar?"

"The ones you shot, right? Yeah, I remember them. Do you think that there's more of those herbivores attacking people around town?"

"Yeah, it's probably them." Maia shifted a little on the couch to a more comfortable position. "Ugh, saying "herbivore" and "predator" out loud sounds so ridiculous, but there's really no better description."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ruby asked, putting away the scrap of cloth.

"Soon," Maia said, determined. "I'm still gathering evidence and witnesses, but once I can convince all of the city guards to help, I can get rid of this corrupt police department. You can help by playing along with Emmett and remembering the locations of the places he raids and the locations of the safehouses that they're using."

"Got it," Ruby said, collapsing her weapon and setting it down next to herself.

"Groceries in the fridge?" Maia asked.

Ruby nodded. "It took me a while to realize that I had to put the Dust container in to power it."

"Ah, right. Most residences in the outskirts of New Haven aren't connected to the electrical grid. And not many buildings have refrigerators either, I suppose."

Maia put her tablet away and leaned back into the couch for a moment, stretching. Ruby thought she looked as stunning as usual, her blue hair and athletic figure accentuated by the semi-tight uniform.

So when Maia began loosening the belt around her waist, Ruby quickly picked up her weapon and focused intently on it, wiping a bit of drool off the corner of her mouth.

 _My precious scythe is very shiny,_  Ruby told herself.  _The rabbit faunus taking off her clothes next to me is not important, and this urge to eat her just simply means I'm hungry, is all._

Ruby's stomach growled. She froze, her hands clenching the weapon tightly.

"Guess you're hungry, huh?" Maia noticed, shaking her hair loose and combing it out with her fingers. "I'll go make some food. You're welcome to cook the meat by yourself."

Ruby sighed internally, relieved. How else would Maia have interpreted her hunger? She was simply being foolish again.

"By the way, did you spend all of the money?"

Ruby nearly dropped her weapon.

"I, uh, funny story," Ruby stalled, thinking quickly. "I might have broken something in one of the shops, and the store owner got mad at me, so I left them the money I had left and I promise you I'll go to work and earn back the money please don't be mad at me!"

By the end of her sentence Ruby had ran out of air and was clutching Maia's waist, kneeling on the ground as she pleaded, her face buried into Maia's stomach.

Maia attempted to hide her smile but failed, the edges of lips curling upwards as she looked down at Ruby. "Oh come on, what did you break this time?"

Ruby looked up at Maia, her lips pouting. "A… door."

Maia rolled her eyes, then chuckled as she pulled Ruby to her feet. "Don't apologize to me, just do your job and make sure you pay for the damages."

Ruby sighed in relief and hugged Maia, the faunus's blue hair caressing her face as Ruby breathed in her scent. "Sorry," Ruby murmured.

"It's okay," Maia assured her, her face tinged slightly pink. "Alright, let's make some dinner."

Similarly to the refrigerator, the stovetop in the new house was also able to be powered with Dust. Maia had to pull the tube of Dust out of the refrigerator and use it to temporarily power the stovetop so the two could cook.

The two discussed the day over dinner, with Ruby explaining her purchases and Maia talking about what she was doing to gather evidence against the predators. The crimes against the predators were new factors to consider, but in the end Maia had decided to stop Emmett and more importantly, the corrupt sheriff, first.

Ruby felt a sense of comfort as they settled in for the night. She might even get used to this type of lifestyle, this routine. As long as nothing happened to the beautiful, blue-haired rabbit faunus in front of her, she would enjoy Maia as long as possible.

Ruby spent most of the night staring at Maia's flawless backside.

The blizzard had finally begun dying down. Before the sun could fully rise, Ruby got out of bed, wide awake, and put on her ragged, tattered clothes, wrapping herself in steelsilk ribbons to make herself presentable and switching out the bandages around her face with the material. She clipped the dirty, bloody cloak onto the remnants of her combat skirt, strapped Crescent Rose to her belt, then rummaged through Maia's bag for a pen and a scrap of paper.

After leaving a note, Ruby left the house through the shutters in the kitchen, reasoning that they would make less noise than the front door creaking open and shut.

It wasn't as though Ruby didn't want to live with Maia any more. No, Ruby had left because she had realized that with the blizzard ending, Vincent would be sending out hunting and gathering parties to collect supplies. Perhaps he might ask for Ruby to come again, considering how the weather conditions might impede their progress and hinder their detection of any hostile grimm. In fact, now that Ruby thought more about it, it was nearly a certainty that he'd check on her after the blizzard.

And Ruby wasn't stupid. She realized that Vincent was probably using the opportunity to keep an eye on her. After all, he did ask her about her past, something that Ruby herself didn't want to think about…

It took longer than usual, but after referring to the map on her tablet and recognizing a few landmarks, Ruby made her way back to the campsite. The large clearing used to be filled with tree stumps poking their way out of the snow, but with the recent blizzard, there was only a sheet of pure white covering the entire area.

Ruby had no clue where she had left the tarp, the structure having collapsed underneath the weight of the snow, and she couldn't make a campfire without the flint that was somewhere underneath the tarp, so she decided to make the best of her remaining hours by clearing out a bit of snow underneath a tree and taking a nap. Her cloak was meager protection, but the cold still wasn't bothering her, so she didn't mind.

* * *

She woke up to a light tapping on her shoulder. It took her a moment to realize that she wasn't in Maia's house and that Vincent was towering over her, something akin to a worried expression on his face.

_I guess coming out here was the right decision after all._

Tap. Tap.

Shaking off her lethargy, Ruby attempted to stand up. Her limbs felt numb, and she nearly fell face-first into the snow, barely managing to catch herself on her hands and knees. It seemed that despite the cold not bothering her, sitting in the snow in the same position for a few hours would still adversely affect the movement of her limbs.

"Gimme a second," Ruby muttered, feeling the strength return to her body.

Vincent stood back, observing her as she slowly got up and stretched.

"It seems that you've ran into trouble during the past few days," he said, staring at the ribbons wrapping around her face and covering her eye.

Ruby barely dared to breath as he examined her face. She had taken the intact contact out of her left eye, but she wasn't sure if Vincent would want to see what was under her bandages.

"I apologize for not sending any supplies due to the weather conditions," he continued, "but you seem to be otherwise fine."

"Yup, I'm all good," Ruby agreed, letting out a relieved breath as she shook the snow off of her cloak. "Are we going anywhere today?"

Vincent nodded, motioning for her to follow. "We are gathering wood again. Our supplies of firewood have been depleted due to the recent snowstorm. Your task today is identical to your previous mission: protect the woodcutters from any harm and prove yourself to be an ally to our city."

"I can do that," Ruby said, nodding. "Maybe you'll eventually let me live in the city, too? Before I go crazy from, oh, say, not having any friends, or something like that."

An amused rumble came from the lion faunus. "I suspect you may already be damaged in the head." Ignoring Ruby's protests, he continued, "But we shall see. Perhaps when the city is more… stable."

"Oh, yeah, um, that makes sense," Ruby quickly backtracked. "No need to rush then, I guess."

The pair walked onwards for some distance before meeting up with the group of faunus milling about the gate of the city. They all wore the same items as last time, with white camouflage suits and various equipment either strapped to their backs or carried by two or more people.

When they arrived at their destination, Ruby took position in a tall tree again, scouting the landscape and watching for threats. The faunus worked tirelessly until noon, when everyone ate their food before returning to their jobs.

Ruby was slowly growing bored, the white landscape gradually blinding her eyes, when the rustling of branches told her that someone else was coming up the tree. With sure foot placement and steady hands, Vincent gracefully pulled himself up next to Ruby and sat down, looking out at the landscape with her.

"Hi," Ruby chirped, perking up and immediately being grasped by the urge to ruffle his golden-blonde hair that was streaked with black.

"Hello," Vincent responded, leaning back against the main trunk of the tree. "I suppose that since you're applying to become a citizen of the city, I ought to get to know you better."

"Oka-ay," Ruby said cautiously. "What do you want to know about me?"

"Hmm," the lion hummed. "Why are you here?"

"To help," Ruby answered automatically.

"Why do you feel a need to help?"

Ruby paused.

"Next question, please."

Vincent shrugged at her answer and sat silently for a while.

"Would you like to hear an interesting story?"

"I love stories," Ruby said, glad to have something that broke the awkward silence.

Vincent glanced at her outfit. "You know, amongst us faunus, we have a story about a Little Red Riding Hood."

"Oh? What's your story about?"

"It's about the foolishness of humans and the oppression of our race. Simplified into a parable, of course."

"…Is there a happy ending?"

"Heh. What do you think?"

"Yes?"

"I won't spoil it," Vincent said with a smile. "Ahem."

* * *

Once upon a time, a young human girl walked down a path to her grandmother's cottage. She wore a red cloak and a red skirt and carried a basket filled with food on her arm. Her mother had given the young girl a blackberry pie and a bottle of cider to bring with her for her visit to her grandmother.

Little Red set out in the morning, following a straightforward road to her destination. However, although she had been told to stay on the path and walk quickly, she had strayed to pick some flowers. And, unfortunately for the young girl, a pack of starving beowolves were passing by, searching for food.

Along the path there resided a small family of wolf faunus. They had always been friendly with their neighbors, and the nearby townspeople had learned to tolerate them.

The youngest wolf faunus was out gathering berries when he happened upon Little Red. She was crying out in fear as she ran from the beowolves, the savage creatures tearing at her and toying with her as she tried to escape.

The young faunus fired at the beowolves with his gun as he attempted to scare them off. His elder brother, hearing the commotion, came running out of the house and into the forest. The two of them managed to scare the starving beowolves away, but at that point Little Red had already collapsed from fear and blood loss.

The two of them carried her back to their home for treatment, binding her wounds to stop the bleeding and attempting to find out where she had came from. Her injuries were shallow, but she refused to wake up.

As this all occurred, a townsperson who had also been using the path had witnessed part of the incident, the gunshots having attracted his attention. He had heard the sound of the guns firing, watched a wolf faunus run into the forest with a gun, and looked on helplessly as he saw two wolf faunuses carry a pretty, bloodied, and unconscious young girl back into their cottage.

So of course, instead of calling a few friends for reinforcement and knocking on the door, he assumed the worst and spread the news to around his village, which formed a mob to storm the faunus's house.

When the mother of the faunus opened the door they greeted her with a shotgun to the face. When the father came to help they shot him too. Then they ransacked the house and shot their two sons before dragging the injured human girl out of the house and setting it on fire.

They had left the faunus for dead, but faunus are a hardy race. The two children nearly managed to escape despite their injuries, smashing the windows and jumping out of the building, only to be killed by the mob outside.

In all the confusion, the daughter managed to escape through a hidden passage in the basement, fleeing in terror to the nearest faunus village. News of the brutal slaughter spread quickly through the faunus community.

Meanwhile, the humans told each other that the wolf faunus had captured, tortured, and eaten parts of Little Red, and the townspeople had merely administered justice. In fact, if the wolf faunus were eating humans, wouldn't that mean that all faunuses were capable of such deeds? If so, perhaps it might not have been a good idea to allow the faunus to live alongside themselves after all…

* * *

Vincent stopped. Ruby had been listening intently, an eager expression on her face as she waited for him to resume his story.

"So what happened?" she blurted out. "Did they clear up their misunderstanding?"

"The Faunus War happened."

"Oh. What happened to Little Red?"

"The 'rescue' was too stressful for her, and she died a day later from her injuries."

"…That wasn't really a story. Or a parable."

"That is how the story is told on our side. I'm sure you humans have a similar story. The exact details have been lost to time, which is why we call it a story, and it teaches a valuable lesson, which is why we can also call it a parable."

"That makes sense," Ruby agreed. "We have a story too. In ours, Little Red Riding Hood is eaten by a monstrous wolf faunus, her grandma is also eaten by that wolf faunus, and then a Huntsman rescues the two by killing the wolf faunus and cutting them out of the wolf faunus's stomach."

"That sounds utterly ridiculous."

Ruby shrugged. "Hey, I didn't make up the story."

"Well, at least we have not eaten each other yet," Vincent commented, rising to his feet. "We will be going back in a few hours, Red. See you then."

Ruby froze, unsure of how to interpret his words. Vincent stepped off of the branch and into the air, a small puff of snow from below indicating his landing a few seconds later.

With Vincent gone, Ruby went back to watching the landscape, her thoughts in turmoil.

* * *

**Note:**

**THANKS TO LazyKatze FOR HER AWESOME EDITING**

**Sorry about the two-week delay, I got sidetracked by real life. However, I have uploaded my monochrome story, called Shades of Gray WHICH HAS NO RELATION TO A TWILIGHT-FANFIC-TURNED-BDSM NOVEL that I will not mention that also has the British spelling of "gray".**

**You can find it by going to my profile and clicking on the story, I suppose, if you'd like to read it.**


	62. The Dance

  
Blake sat on her bed, speaking softly into her tablet. ****  


"Yes, that'd be great. Months?! Why the would it takes months to arrange a trip—oh. Okay, that makes sense. Alright. Okay. I understand. Thank you."

She closed the tablet and stretched, yawning. She had been arguing with her benefactor about how they were handling the outpost that their faction had taken over and whether or not more intervention was required.

Blake was in favor of sending more resources and manpower in order to make sure the outpost would be able to survive and maybe even thrive, but her benefactor had argued that their actions might draw undue attention and that the faunus in the outpost would be able to survive on their own. After all, their kind  _had_  managed to survive in the Menagerie for all those years.

In the end, Blake had to concede. She had no real power to make decisions, after all. All she had done was provide some information and the idea for the settlement. Everything else was left to the moderate faunus faction who was willing to attempt her proposal.

A knock came from the window.

Blake looked up, narrowing her eyes. A monkey faunus with spiky blonde hair poked his head into view, a grin on his face.

"Hey, can I come in?" he asked, his voice slightly muffled as he waved.

Blake sighed good-naturedly and opened the window, allowing Sun to backflip into the room before she closed it once more.

"We have a door for a reason," Blake frowned. "People are going to wonder why you keep sneaking in."

"Nah, we'll be fine," Sun reassured her confidently. "Besides, I have Neptune with me. He's cool, right?"

Blake rolled her eyes. "No, that's even  _more_  suspicious. Wait, Neptune?"

At that moment Blake heard a scream from outside before the cracking of branches and a thump on the ground silenced the noise.

"I'm okay," someone moaned weakly from below.

Faint voices could be heard from outside. "Hey, can you move?" "Someone get him a medic!"

Blake and Sun both looked outside the window and stared at the prone Neptune on the ground next to the building.

"I think I locked him outside when I closed the window. Do you think he's hurt?"

"Nah, he'll be fine."

Sun pulled back from the window, grabbed a nearby chair, and flipped it around, sitting in it backwards facing towards her. "So, what's up?"

"Not much," Blake said. "Some personal business I'm working on, but nothing to worry about."

Sun raised an eyebrow, looking concerned. "More crazy cult stuff? I thought you dropped them a while back, after the whole takeover and bombing incident and the thing with Weiss."

Blake looked around, hissing through clenched teeth. "Don't you even  _dare_  talk about that," she threatened, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Not here, not where there might be people listening. Weiss and I have put that behind us, and I don't want you to ruin the friendship we have now."

The monkey faunus immediately backed off, raising his hands into the air in a pose of surrender. "Woah, okay, you don't have to get all mad at me. I was just wondering, is all."

"Sorry," Blake apologized, her bow drooping slightly. "I shouldn't have yelled. Thanks for talking with me and listening to my story back then."

Sun grinned, holding out a fist. "No problem. We faunus gotta stick together, right?"

"Right," Blake agreed, smiling as she lightly tapped his fist with her own.

"That reminds me," Sun suddenly said. "I've been hearing things about Ruby, you know, the black and red-haired girl I met at the docks with you guys, who had that huge scythe?"

"Yes, I know her," Blake responded, her expression growing dark. "She was a teammate.  _Was._ "

Sun faltered a little but pressed on. "A-are the stories true? I mean, things get exaggerated, right?" he laughed nervously. "Eating people, killing faunus, going into hiding, getting sent to some prison camp in the middle of nowhere…"

"All true," Blake growled.

"Oh. Wow. Didn't really expect  _her_  to… you know…"

They sat in silence for a few awkward seconds.

"So… that grimm attack," Sun quickly said, eager to change the topic. "That was something, wasn't it? Heard Beacon took a lot of damage during whatever that attack was."

Blake nodded, looking at the window. They had only recently gotten it repaired after it had been smashed during the grimm attack. It had taken so long to repair due to the more pressing concerns around the school, where a number of buildings had either collapsed or were rendered unstable due to the huge amount of nevermore feathers embedded in their walls.

"Yes. Considering that we were selected to host the Vytal festival during that time, the attack really set things back. A lot of school events were delayed, actually, due to the number of casualties we suffered."

"Sounds like a bad situation," Sun said, nodding. "So that's why the school dance was delayed until now, huh."

"Mhmm," Blake murmured.

Sun scratched his head awkwardly. "So, uh, you going with anyone? To the school dance, I mean. Kinda lame, if you ask me, but, uh, you, me, not so lame?"

Blake looked at him, confused. "What?"

He coughed. "I mean, do you want to go to the dance with me?"

"…Sorry, but I'm spoken for," Blake said gently.

"That's fine," he said quickly. "I mean, I can just go with a friend. Not like it's really formal or anything."

Nora poked her head into the room. "Yang and Blake are  _together-together_ ," she chirped.

"Nora!" Blake cried. "Have some tact!"

" _Ooooh_ ," Sun said, grinning. "I should have seen that coming. You two do seem like the perfect match."

"Sun!" Blake shouted, her cheeks now tinged with pink. "I mean, ah, do you really think so?"

"Yup," he laughed.

Nora giggled to herself, then shut the door and skipped away.

Smiles on their faces, their conversation topics shifted toward more happy memories as they chatted.

* * *

"Team JNPR and us are in charge of the planning?" Yang asked incredulously. "Hell yeah!"

"Seems like you're pretty excited," Blake commented, setting her book down.

"Of course I am!" Yang exclaimed, toweling herself off. "I'll get a real DJ, a dance floor, a nice sound system, some pyrotechnics, and then sneak some alcohol inside."

"Alcohol?"

"Yeah, I'll spike the punch! It'll be great!" Yang snickered to herself. "I can't wait to see what team JNPR are like when they're drunk."

"Yang, I don't know if that's really a good idea…"

"Nonsense, of course it is! I should know, I've been to plenty of clubs. Everyone looked like they were having fun at them."

Blake rolled her eyes. "If you want to imitate a club scene, you might as well bring all the illegal substances too."

Yang paused, looking at her worriedly. "Do you think that's needed? I'm not sure how much they're letting me spend on supplies, and drugs are pretty expensive."

"Yang, no! I was being sarcastic," Blake amended hastily. "No drugs."

"Aw, fine," Yang acquiesced, disappointed.

Yang dropped her towel to the floor and began dressing. Her skin was still a little wet from the shower, the reflected light emphasizing her curves as she slowly slid her clothes on. After noticing that Blake was watching her with wide eyes as she pretended to read her book, Yang wiggled her hips a little and smiled seductively. Blake's ears perked up even as she attempted to look away.

Yang laughed as she sauntered toward the cat faunus. "Aren't you enjoying this a little too much? Considering how many times you've seen me naked already."

"Y-yang, we don't have time for this," Blake whispered hurriedly, blushing. "I told JNPR we'd meet them in the library to plan the—mmm…"

After a few seconds, Yang pulled back and grinned, licking her lips. "Welp, I guess we'd better go. Don't want to keep them waiting, now do we?"

"Ah, yeah," Blake breathed, lightheaded.

The two headed toward the library. It was getting dark, the night air growing cool. The light coming from inside the library was bright and inviting as the two walked inside.

Bookshelves surrounded them as they walked up the stairs, heading for an area deep within the library where few people ever went. The curved ceiling of the library was visible as they headed to the second floor.

A familiar sight greeted them as they arrived. Jaune was studying with Pyrrha, while Nora was nodding off as Ren did his homework. The board game that was usually spread out onto team RWBY's desk was absent, the box that contained the game now collecting dust where it rested upon a nearby shelf.

Pyrrha noticed them first, smiling and waving.

"Hello!" she said cheerfully. "I'm glad you could make it."

Nora snorted and mumbled something in her sleep as Ren gave them an amicable nod.

"Is Weiss not coming? Did something happen?" Jaune asked apprehensively.

Blake paused. "…Ah, it's been a while since we've talked like this, hasn't it?"

"Weiss is off with Alys on a super-secret mission we can't really talk about," Yang said as she took a seat at the table. "I don't know if you guys know who Alys is, but she and Weiss are basically married at this point, so they went on the mission together."

"Married?" Pyrrha asked, a little shocked.

Blake nodded. "It's true, they've been living together for quite a while now. You should really see how they act around each other."

Pyrrha murmured something to herself and glanced at Jaune with a thoughtful expression on her face. Jaune, as usual, didn't notice anything.

"Party!" Nora shouted as she suddenly woke up. "Hi Blake, hi Yang!"

"Hey Nora, how's it hanging?"

"Our mission was a success," Nora answered exuberantly. "Hey, did anyone mention that we bumped into Rub—"

Nora's voice was suddenly muffled as Ren cupped his hand over her mouth.

"What she means is that we bumped into someone called Ru…pert during the mission," Ren interjected. "You guys don't know him, so I'm not sure why Nora was bringing him up."

"Riiight, Ru-pert," Jaune nodded, agreeing. "Yup, funny guy, ha-ha," he said as he laughed nervously.

Pyrrha clapped her hands together. "So now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about this dance that we have to plan."

Blake narrowed her eyes a little but chose to overlook their little slip-up. Yang's happy expression slipped a little but she also chose to ignore them, pretending to remain ignorant as she nodded and agreed with Pyrrha.

Yang took the initiative. "First things first—do we have enough money for alcohol? I mean, it's a party, right?"

Multiple groans could be heard across the table as Blake grabbed Yang's shoulders and shook her. "No! Bad Yang! No alcohol, no drugs, no strippers—"

"Strippers?"

"Forget I said that!"

* * *

After they had argued down Yang's suggestions, they managed to accomplish something with their limited funds. A dance floor, some strobe lights, a few balloons, and catering had been secured, all at a reasonable cost. They had gotten a few students to help create some streamers and banners to drape along the ceilings, complementing the colors of the balloons they had distributed throughout the room.

The end result was a mixture of a formal dance with a bit of playfulness injected into it, the color scheme of pink and blue indicating that this was a dance meant to be taken not too seriously—a dance to have fun at and enjoy before their real missions began.

The dance, at first, was a success.

* * *

"Yang! You look fantastic!" Nora bubbled as she greeted Yang at the door.

"It… somehow suits you," Ren commented.

"Aww, thanks." Yang did a little twirl. "I kind of went with a classic, you know? Well, come on in and welcome to the party!"

Nora grinned at her and clutched Ren's arm, then dragged him past the desk and toward the crowd of people in the ballroom.

Jaune was right behind her, looking a little sheepish in his tuxedo.

Yang looked at him, blinking. "Hey, where's Pyrrha?"

Jaune hesitated. "Pyrrha? I… I didn't ask her to the dance. I'm sure she had a bunch of guys lining up to take her to the dance, so I didn't really want to… you know… compete with them?"

Yang sighed. She reached out and patted Jaune on his head, a pitying expression on her face.

"If you like someone, you're going to have to fight for them," she said, a little disappointed.

Jaune took a step back, putting himself out of reach. "B-but—"

Yang saw something in the corner of her eye and glanced up. "Hey Jaune, now's your chance!"

"Wha—"

Yang leaned over and picked Jaune up by the collar, then heaved him up into the air and over the second-floor railing. He landed with a grunt as he absorbed the impact with a roll and leapt upright.

"Hey, what was that for?" he shouted indignantly down to Yang.

"Uh, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, touching his shoulder.

He spun around, startled. "Oh, hey, Pyrrha. What are you doing up here?" He looked around. "Where's your partner?"

"Partner?" Pyrrha asked, frowning. "Jaune, I came alone to the dance."

Jaune froze momentarily.

"R-really?" he choked out.

Pyrrha sighed and looked down at the floor, her arms folded. "Yes, Jaune. Not everyone has the courage to talk to… well, to put it frankly, someone like me."

Jaune opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but closed it again, a nervous expression on his face as he backed off.

"Ah, okay, alright. Well, uh, good luck with that," he mumbled.

He turned around and promptly tripped on a chair, smashing into a table before sliding to the floor.

Pyrrha stalked over to him, her heels clicking on the floor as she hauled him up and set him upright.

"Look, Jaune, maybe I've been too… vague about this, so it's partially my fault."

She took a deep breath.

"Jaune, I like you, and I've liked you since the day we met. You treated me like a normal person and didn't put me onto a pedestal like all the others did, even after you found out about who I was."

Jaune's shocked expression transitioned into a uncertain smile as he listened to her words.

"So…?" Pyrrha prompted.

Jaune took a similarly deep breath before speaking. "Pyrrha, I like you too, and I've always admired you for your strength and your intelligence. I'd be really happy if you'd come to this dance with me. I-I mean, we're already at this dance, but—"

"Shh," Pyrrha whispered, putting a finger over his lips. "Yes, I'd love to dance with you."

Hand-in-hand, they walked toward the stairs and descended to the dance floor.

* * *

"Welp, I think that's almost everyone," Yang said, closing her tablet.

"Then will you accompany me to the dance floor?" Blake proposed, proffering her gloved hand.

The cat faunus was dressed in a sleek black suit, the edges of her lapels trimmed with purple. Her hair was slicked back, and a bow at her neck complimented the bow in her hair.

"Of course," Yang grinned, clasping her hand and pulling her in. "Have I mentioned how  _sexy_  you look in that suit?"

"R-really?" Blake stammered, her cheeks tinged with pink. "This is just my old uniform; I didn't know if it'd still look good. Thank you."

The couple stepped out from behind the desk and turned to head toward the dance floor. At that moment, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind them.

"Hello," the voice said hesitantly.

The blonde and raven-haired girls spun around in shock, their eyes widening as they realized who they were looking at. She was wearing a long white coat decorated with Schnee insignias, a skirt that extended to her knees, and a pair of heeled boots.

"Weiss?!"

"Hey Yang, Blake," Weiss answered. "I haven't you two in quite a while."

"They let you leave?" Blake asked.

"Leave?" Weiss laughed, her voice a little bitter. "As if. I'm on a leash, and I'm chained to Alys. They know I won't do anything stupid while Alys is in their custody, under their  _treatment_."

Blake filed the odd emphasis on the word away in her mind.

"But you're here for now?" Yang said eagerly. "How long are they letting you go for?"

Weiss shrugged. "This is a sort of special event, and Alys is busy right now, so I can stay for tonight and I'll be gone tomorrow morning. I just wanted to meet up with you two and tell you that everything is going okay. How have things been with just you two as a team?"

"That's good to hear," Yang said happily. "I think we've been managing pretty well as a two-person team."

Blake nodded in agreement.

"Really? Then you're definitely going to have to tell me all about it." Weiss inclined her head toward the tables. "Come on, let's grab some seats. You two can catch me up on everything that's been going on in the past few months."

* * *

The night progressed smoothly onwards.

* * *

**Note:**

**Thank you for reading this chapter. I'm sorry that I've been taking so long to upload, but college is happening right now, sorry. Once again, thank you to Pozsich who edited this chapter for me, go check out his stories on this website!**

 


	63. The Dance Pt 2

 

**Sorry for the delay, you should probably re-read the previous chapters to remember what's going on.**

**Some clarifications: The incident Sun was referring to takes place before this story, and is not in the show. The grimm attack was the preliminary attack that happened a few months ago, which was beaten by back the staff and students at beacon and had very few casualties. As for Weiss and Alyss, well, it relates to the end of Chapter 39.**

* * *

"Really?" Weiss asked incredulously, laughing. "You actually threw him at Pyrrha?"

"Yup! And look, everything worked out." She pointed toward the happy couple on the dance floor. "Seems like they're having a great time."

Blake took a sip of water. "So what have you been doing?" she asked. "Alys seems preoccupied with whatever program she's participating in, but so far you haven't said anything about yourself."

Weiss looked at her hesitantly. "Do you really want to know? Let's just enjoy this night, relax, talk with some friends…"

"Now you've really made me curious," Yang said. "Come on, you can't just say that and not tell us."

Blake looked at Weiss, an eyebrow raised. "Did you really think we'd say no after hearing that?"

Weiss sighed. "Of course not." She cleared her throat and shifted a little in her seat. "Well, I've been doing some research. Research about the things they're doing to Alys that they won't fully reveal even to me, research about the odd Grimm attack a few months ago, and research about what happened to…  _her_."

There was a moment of shocked silence.

Yang leaned forward. "What do you mean, what happened?"

"I  _really_  shouldn't have said anything," Weiss groaned. "Look, I don't have anything conclusive, but do you really think that  _she_  would just do those things out of the blue? After all the years that you knew her and lived with her? What  _changed_  her? What made her become what she is  _now_?"

Yang looked a little pale as she slumped back into her chair, her hand gripping Blake's hand, her knuckles turning white.

" _Weiss_ ," Blake growled, her eyes narrowing.

"I'm sorry, I've said too much," Weiss apologized, quickly backtracking. "Look, let's just—"

An agonized howl interrupted her. Blake and Yang scrambled out of their seats and scanned their surroundings while Weiss slipped her hand into her pocket. People began to scream, the students milling about the dance floor as they rushed to get away from something.

A strange, stiffly enunciated voice cut through the noise.

"Oh dear. Why is this human so fragile?"

* * *

A few minutes ago, Penny had been dancing on the ballroom floor, alone.

Her being alone wasn't unusual, of course. Her father had always been rather protective of her, so her contact with other people had been limited to her personal guards and the scientists who constantly maintained and upgraded her.

But, after looking around at everyone else, she decided that she would at least try to interact with others. After the disappearance of her friend, it might be time to make a new one. She didn't have much hope that she would find someone as nice as Ruby, but maybe this way she'd be a little less lonely.

She turned to the red and blue-uniformed guards behind her. "I would like to dance with a partner."

They looked at each other.

The blue one cleared his throat in the awkward silence. "That wouldn't be a good idea, Penny."

"Why?"

"We're under strict orders not to allow you to interact with anyone past the point of verbal communication," the red one said.

Penny tilted her head. "Oh, yes. I remember now."

Penny wanted to tell them that she been in contact with people before, that she had hugged Ruby and everything had been fine. But she understood that it would only bring further trouble upon herself, especially if what she had heard about Ruby was true. Her father had tried his best to keep information about such things secret from her, but she still heard whispers and rumors from other people.

Penny didn't know why Ruby would do those things, but she was sure that Ruby had a good reason and that Ruby would explain everything once she was back.

After all, even though she had been gone for a while, Ruby was still her friend.

"Then I will go find people to talk with, if that is okay with you two."

They nodded. "Talking is fine, Penny."

Permission given, she walked back onto the dance floor and tried to approach the nearest group. But they took one glance and drifted away from her, avoiding eye contact. Recognizing that they didn't want to speak to her, Penny moved on to the next group, hoping that she would have better luck with them.

But they all had a similar response to her advances, a small bubble forming around Penny as she walked through the crowd. Her robotic movements and the impression she had given when she spoke disturbed most people enough to make them to unconsciously avoid her. The guards flanking her and staring people down with their faceless visors didn't help either.

She stopped at the punch table, feeling a sinking sensation where her synthetic heart lay.  _No one likes me,_ she decided.  _I am not making friends by staying here. I wish Ruby were here._   _Should I leave? Is that impolite?_

A small beeping sound caught her attention, making her turn around suddenly, her head tilting as she located the source of the noise. The people around her involuntarily flinched at her abrupt movement.

Penny ignored them and looked toward her two bodyguards, both of whom were in the process of pulling out their tablets and reading the notifications that had appeared on them.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

The two guards looked at each other hesitantly. The blue guard spoke up. "It seems that there's an emergency, Penny. We need leave  _now._  Can I trust you to find Ironwood and stay by his side?"

"Not a problem," Penny replied enthusiastically. "Leave it to me. I'll protect Mr. Ironwood!"

They looked at each other and shrugged. "Then go," the red one said. "We'll be back as soon as possible."

After glancing back at Penny, the pair immediately ran toward the entrance. Penny waved until they disappeared from her sight, then turned around to find Ironwood. She saw him off on the other side of the room, a tablet in his hand as he spoke orders into it.

She began walking toward him, only to be obstructed by two of her fellow students.

"Hi," the green-haired one said. "I'm Emerald."

"I'm Penny," the synthetic being automatically replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"I noticed that you've been alone all night," Emerald said. "Why is that?"

The order she had been given momentarily warred with the desire to finally talk to someone.

"I'm not supposed to be in physical contact with anyone," Penny responded after a moment. "My father said so."

Emerald made a sympathetic face. "That doesn't sound too fair. Did he say why?"

Penny shook her head. "No, and no one seems to like me either. I don't have any friends here."

"There, there," Emerald said soothingly, patting her shoulder. "I'll be your friend. I don't mind if you touch me."

"Really?" Penny gasped, grasping Emerald by the shoulders. "You'll be my friend?"

Emerald gave her a strained smile as she gritted her teeth, the bones in her shoulders making creaking and grinding noises. Mercury chuckled softly behind her.

"Yes, Penny. You're my friend now."

"Sen-sational!" Penny cried out, pulling Emerald into a full-bodied hug.

Emerald let out an involuntary moan of pain as her ribcage cracked. She bit down on her tongue as Penny tightened the hug, a small glow of green aura flaring around Emerald for a moment before fading.

A sheen of sweat was visible on Emerald's face when Penny finally pulled away, but Emerald still maintained her smile. "You want to learn a secret method for making friends?"

"A secret method? I sure do!"

"Just give someone the same hug you just gave me," Emerald told her. "It's a sure-fire way to get someone to like you."

Penny nodded to herself. "That makes sense," she agreed.

She should have realized it earlier. She had hugged Ruby when they became friends, and after that she hadn't had the opportunity to hug anyone else.

Did that mean father didn't want her to be friends with anyone?

"Thank you so much for the advice," Penny said to her. "I'm going to go hug someone right now!"

"Yeah, you go do that." Emerald watched as Penny ran off into the crowd of people, looking for someone to hug. "Hey Mercury, pop my shoulders back in."

Mercury raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"That dunce dislocated my shoulders," she hissed. "Pop them back into place before someone sees that my shoulders aren't aligned and I haven't moved my arms for the past minute."

"Wow," Mercury said, whistling appreciatively as he mercilessly wrenched on her shoulders. "This'll be good."

Emerald wobbled a little from the pain, forcing her to lean on Mercury until she could stand on her own. The two of them watched as Penny finally selected her victim, the android cornering the unfortunate boy and picking him up with a manic grin on her face.

Penny noticed that things weren't going as expected when the person she was hugging began screaming in pain. She immediately set him back down onto the ground where he collapsed into a heap at her feet, his limbs flailing as he attempted to scoot away from her. His arms were broken and bent backwards, his chest area deformed.

Penny took a step back, her face creased with worry, but she was still caught in the spray of blood as the boy coughed onto her, his lungs perforated by his broken ribs. His screams turned into gurgles as he choked, his expression a rictus of pain as his eyes begged for mercy.

People began to scream, and others began to shout for paramedics.

"Oh dear," Penny said worriedly, realizing something was wrong. "Why is this human so fragile?"

She had hugged Ruby without a problem, and Emerald didn't have any problems with her hug. Why had this person snapped so easily?

"I think he's leaking," she commented to no one in particular.

A wide circle had been formed around her and the bleeding boy on the ground. Some of the students were running toward the exits, while the others surrounded Penny with scared but determined expressions on their faces.

"Get away from him!" a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes shouted at her.

Penny nodded and stepped away from the puddle of blood staining her shoes. The people who had stayed behind immediately moved to form a barrier between her and the boy on the ground.

"I'm sorry, I think I did something wrong," Penny apologized.

"Yeah you did," a faunus girl with a bow covering her ears said. "What just happened, Penny?"

"U-um," Penny stammered. "I just wanted to hug someone and make friends with them."

"Crushing someone's ribs and possibly killing them is  _not_  how you make friends," the nearby blonde said disbelievingly. "That wasn't a hug, that was attempted  _murder_."

"I only hugged him," Penny insisted. "I didn't know that he would break so easily."

"Don't you know your own strength?" Weiss asked.

"I hugged Ruby"—Blake growled—"and she didn't break," Penny reasoned.

Weiss nodded to herself upon hearing Penny's statement. Yang opened her mouth to say something, but a purple glow surrounded Penny before they could respond. Penny struggled a little before realizing what was happening, then slumped, her chin resting on her chest as she stared downwards.

Glynda Goodwitch pushed through the crowd, her riding crop glowing in her hand. She paused for a moment to look at Penny with an unreadable expression before turning to the crowd and speaking.

"Settle down, everyone," Glynda said sternly, a scowl on her face. "You three, you seem to know this girl. Come with me. All students not involved with keeping the boy alive need to leave.  _Now._ "

The crowd began to disperse, the sound of quiet conversation building as students streamed through the main doors. By the time the paramedics arrived, the only people remaining were a few of the victim's friends that stubbornly remained by his side.

Yang half-heartedly kicked around a few of the balloons on the floor as the trio watched the paramedics load the boy onto a stretcher. Glynda observed the procedure impassively, only turning to the girls after the ambulance had left.

"Why is it that you three are always involved something or the other?" Glynda scowled. "Come, you need to tell Ironwood what you saw."

The girls followed Glynda obediently—Penny floating along in a purple haze with them—as she quickly led them through a series of doors and down a short hallway. As they stepped into an office, they could hear someone shouting at the two red and blue uniformed guards.

"—matter what, you two were  _not_  supposed to leave her side! I don't care  _what_  kind of break-in was occurring, you should have stayed!"

"Sir, our comrades were screaming for help," the red one pleaded.

"We thought she'd be more obedient," the blue one complained.

"Neither of you have any excuses for what you've done," Ironwood snarled. "You idiots have ruined her future."

He took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. Reaching into his white overcoat, he pulled out his flask and took a swallow before recapping it.

Glynda chose that moment to announce her presence by clearing her throat. "Resorting to alcohol to fix your problems, James?"

Ironwood spun around, an array of expressions dancing across his face before settling into despairing resignation. "Glynda." he said, acknowledging her. "You two, leave us. We'll discuss this issue later."

The pair of guards saluted the general before jogging off in the direction of the Cross Continental Transmit Tower.

Ironwood stared at Penny. He looked decades older, the streaks of gray in his hair more pronounced, his cheeks looking sunken and gaunt. Penny on the other hand looked mostly confused and a little uncomfortable as she floated a foot above the ground, her cream-colored dress now decorated with droplets of blood that were turning a darker shade of red as they dried.

"So?" Glynda inquired, finally breaking the silence. "We have a limited amount of time before the authorities come to apprehend Penny."

"I'm really sorry about what happened," Penny offered. "I-I—"

"It's not your fault, you don't know your own strength," Ironwood interjected. "I shouldn't have let you come here in the first place. My own ego blinded me to the possible risks of letting you interact with others."

Glynda looked at the girls. "Do you three believe she did this out of malice?"

A bit of fire entered Ironwood'd eyes as he glared at her. "I  _know_  she didn't—"

"I asked for their opinions, not yours," Glynda snapped. "Penny knows the names of these girls, so I presume that they've spoken to her before. What do you three think?"

"I-I don't know," Yang admitted. "We met her a while back in the city, where she helped us out with some stuff. I don't  _think_  she's evil, but I haven't talked to her that much."

"It's the same thing with me," Weiss agreed. "I don't think she's a bad person."

"Maybe a little lonely or crazy, but not  _evil_ ," Blake added.

Ironwood sighed, his eyes closing for a moment. "Thank you," he murmured.

Glynda released Penny, keeping a careful eye on the android even as she gently set her onto the ground. "Then I'll leave the decision up to you, James. Just remember that anything that occurs is on  _your_  head, not mine. What are you planning on doing?"

Ironwood's face hardened. "I'm going to call in some favors, make some excuses, and get the police off our case." He turned to Penny. "Whatever happens next, just know that I'm doing this all for you. This is the only way I'll be able to… save you."

Glynda nodded to Ironwood and turned to the three girls. "Your presence is no longer needed here. Thank you for your opinions." She looked at them intently. "I trust you'll remain discreet about this discussion."

"Wait, what?" Blake exclaimed. "You're letting her get away with attempted  _murder_?"

Ironwood ignored Blake and walked toward the exit, Penny walking next to him with a questioning expression on her face.

"This is wrong," Blake said, watching as the pair left the room. "What's going on here? What aren't you telling us?"

Glynda folded her arms, her eyebrows raised. "I'd advise you to keep your nose in your own business, Ms. Belladonna."

Yang immediately clamped a hand over Blake's mouth before she could make a retort.

"I advise you three to return to your dorms for night," Glynda continued. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to." Her purple cloak fluttered behind her as she strode out of the room.

The door swung shut.

" _My own business_?" Blake exploded.

Yang squeezed her arm. "Let it go, Blake. They must have a reason for doing this, and they clearly don't want to tell us anything. We just have to believe that what they're doing is for the greater good."

"I agree," Weiss said. "We weren't going to get anywhere if we tried to argue with her."

"I still think this is messed up," Blake scowled. "Killers need to face justice." She paused, taking a deep breath and running a hand through her hair before exhaling. "But it seems like I'm not going to get any answers at the moment, so I might as well drop it."

"Good decision," Weiss agreed. "Come on, let's go. Team JNPR was still there when we left, so let's see if there's anything we can help them out with."

* * *

Jaune was standing to the side, his hands stained with blood as he talked with his teammates.

"—and I couldn't heal him; those injuries were way too severe. All I could do was try to keep him alive."

Pyrrha rested a hand on his shoulder. "You did the best you could, Jaune, and you were a lot more useful than the rest of us."

"You kept him alive long enough for the ambulance to arrive," Nora added. "I think you did a pretty good job!"

Ren nodded sagely.

"I just wish I could have done more," Jaune lamented. "What would we have done if one of you got injured out on a mission, away from Beacon? Well, I guess I could keep you alive long enough to call a hoverjet, but still…"

"Hey look, there's team..." Nora paused. "W…uby? Is that how you say—"

Ren covered Nora's mouth, a placid smile on his face nodded toward the remaining three members of team RWBY.

"Hey guys," Jaune greeted them. "I can't believe Weiss's visit and this dance just got ruined by… whatever just happened. Actually, I'm still not sure what just happened."

"Who  _was_  that girl?" Pyrrha asked curiously. "And why did she just crush that poor boy? It looked like she was…  _surprised_  when she hurt him."

Weiss look at Blake, and Blake looked at Yang. Yang sighed.

"Well, we sort of know that girl," Yang answered. "Her name is Penny. We met her during the incident at the docks when Roman and the White Fang were trying to steal the Dust shipments."

"You know her? Why didn't you tell anyone she was dangerous?" Pyrrha gasped, shocked.

"She hadn't hurt anyone at the time," Yang said, giving Blake a pointed look before the faunus could say anything. "She helped Blake, Sun, and R-ruby"—she stumbled over the name—"out at the docks, knocked out some White Fang members and brought down an airship that was trying to get away with some Dust."

"So, she's an ally? A friend, I suppose? Do you know why she did this?"

Yang shrugged. "It was apparently an accident. She couldn't control her own strength and she… just  _squished_ him, I guess."

Blake interrupted her. "What Yang just said was what"—she lowered her voice—"Glynda and Ironwood told us. We can't trust them, not after they just let Penny go."

Yang looked around furtively. "And for the record, we didn't know anything about this. If anyone asks, we thought they were taking Penny into custody."

Jaune stiffened. "They let her go?"

Weiss shook her head. "Not exactly. It seems like Ironwood's going to go pull a few strings and try to get the charges against Penny dismissed. But yes, he and Penny are evading the authorities at the moment."

Yang cleared her throat. "Anyways, she  _seemed_  like a sweet, nice girl when we first met. Blake can tell you more about her, I wasn't there at the docks when Penny fought."

"She's incredibly strong," Blake admitted. "Strong enough to anchor herself to an airship and then to the ground before pulling the airship out of the sky."

Nora squirmed out of Ren's grasp. "Don't you think that means she might have actually not been able to control her own strength?" Nora asked hopefully.

"Maybe," Blake said reluctantly. "But there's a reason why courts and justice systems exist. If she really is innocent, she needs to be put to trial."

"But what if she's some sort of super-soldier?" Nora continued excitedly. "Maybe she's in some sort of super-duper secret project where they can't let people find out about her!"

Weiss shifted a little.

"Wait a minute, she was the person doing that awesome robot dance, right?" Jaune suddenly asked. "I think she was alone for most of the night. I saw two guards following her around everywhere, and she never danced with anyone."

Ren spoke up, startling most of the group. "Perhaps the guards were preventing her from interacting with others," he said quietly. "Or perhaps we are thinking too deeply about this, and they were merely there for her own safety."

"That's still a little weird, isn't it?" Yang asked. " _Two_  guards in uniform and everything? Just for herself?"

"Just who is she, anyways?" Weiss questioned. "The more we talk about her, the less I'm sure I even know anything about her."

Jaune looked at her. "Wait, you never talked to her tonight? Wasn't she supposed to be your friend?"

"She's not a friend, she only helped us at a convenient time," Blake argued. "Maybe an ally, at the most."

"Wow, that's cold," Nora commented.

Blake narrowed her eyes.

"But if she was alone, the three of you could have said hello, maybe asked her how she was doing," Pyrrha said gently.

Weiss grimaced as she unconsciously smoothed out her sleeves. "Then I'm sorry, it was my fault. I was too busy catching up with my team…"

Pyrrha looked startled. "No, no, I didn't mean to place any blame," she said quickly, backtracking. "I was just voicing my thoughts. I'm sure you're not the only ones who were here tonight who know her. Anyone could have talked to her."

" _Anyone_ , huh?" Weiss said speculatively. "Did you guys remember how the guards said something about some sort of incident occurring? A break-in?"

"Something so serious that people were dying and they had to leave Penny," Yang breathed.

"An outside party influencing her? Could be a possibility," Blake agreed. "Something to look into."

"I guess it's time to do some investigating," Nora said excitedly. "Where should we start?"

"Wait," Pyrrha said cautiously. "Before we dive into this situation, maybe we should tell Ozpin first and see what he says about this."

"I think he would just tell us that it's classified information," Blake said bitterly.

"It wouldn't hurt to ask," Jaune said. "Let's start from there."

Weiss yawned. "You guys can start tomorrow morning," she said tiredly, rubbing at her eyes. "I need to leave in a few hours. I can't miss my flight."

Yang nodded. "Yeah, it's been a long night. Let's take some time to think about this and we can meet up tomorrow."

"You're right," Jaune agreed reluctantly. "We've got lots of new information to think about. Catch you guys later, then. Have a safe flight, Weiss."

"It was nice seeing you again, Weiss," Pyrrha added. "Hopefully we can sit down and chat under better circumstances the next time we see each other."

Nora hopped onto Ren's back. "Bye, Weiss! Say hi to Alys for me! Come on Ren, let's go."

Ren smiled and obliged her, waving to the rest of them before trotting off in the direction of their dorms. Jaune and Pyrrha soon followed, their arms linked as they walked away.

Weiss stayed in their room that night, sleeping on the bed that Blake had kept neat and clean throughout her absence. It was a small gesture, but Weiss was especially touched. It almost made her feel guilty about the things she wasn't telling them.

She left quietly the next morning, trying not to wake the other two. Despite her efforts, Weiss was sure Blake had heard her, judging by the twitching of her ears, but Yang had remained asleep and was snuggling with the faunus.

It was only after Weiss had left Beacon did Blake and Yang realize that they had forgotten to continue their earlier conversation with her. For a few days, Yang's mind was filled with thoughts of Ruby, but she told Blake she was fine until she believed it herself.

* * *

**Note:**

**Oh gosh, there are so many PMs I need to respond to. I'm sorry for being mostly dead to the world for the past few months, my muse wasn't cooperating.**

**Review, PM me any questions. Hopefully my writing has improved too, I'm doing a lot of analysis and practice.**

**I'm really sorry, I know a lot of you wanted Ruby action, but I needed to keep things updated on the Beacon side. We will return to our regularly scheduled Ruby content in the next update.**

**THANK TO MY EDITOR POZSICH FOR HIS AWESOME WORK, GO CHECK OUT HIS STORIES!**


	64. Heading Forward

  
******AN: Tablets are now scrolls, both may or may not be used interchangeably. More canon terms will be switched in as more information is given in canon.**   


* * *

"This is some miserable weather we've been having lately, isn't it? Makes me wonder why I volunteered to be here in the first place."

The young man with white feathers in his brown hair sighed as he picked up his mug and took a swallow. Not for the first time, he made a face and dropped the mug back onto the table, the liquid inside sloshing around a bit and a few drops spilling over the edge.

"Wish they had something stronger," he muttered.

"We're on guard duty," the auburn-haired woman responded, her rabbit ears twitching. "And you volunteered because you had nowhere else to go."

She placed a few playing cards onto the table, making the avian faunus throw his cards down and groan. The woman smirked and gathered them up again, rearranging them into a deck and shuffling.

The man stood up and stretched his legs, then walked over to a nearby table that had a variety of foodstuffs on top of it. Lifting the lid off of one of the containers of food, he gave it a quick sniff before deeming it acceptable and grabbing a bowl and a fork.

After filling the wooden container with salad, he sat back down at the table, waiting for the woman to finish dealing the cards.

"You know," he said, his mouth full of food, "I find it insulting that you think I came here because it was my last resort."

The rabbit faunus rolled her eyes. This wasn't the first time she'd heard this, and she was sure it wouldn't be the last.

"After all," he said—gesticulating with his fork before taking another bite—"We're all here for the betterment of our kind. It would rude to think that any of us have ulterior motives."

"Uh huh." She motioned at his facedown cards. "Hurry up and put something down."

He barely glanced at the cards before selecting two and placing them onto the table. "The salad tastes better today. Glad they took my advice."

She responded with a few more cards of her own. "Maybe you should stop being so picky and bothering the poor cooks."

He shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. I just asked them to change the ratio of the vinegar to the—"

A series of urgent knocks came from the entrance, interrupting whatever he was about to say. The two of them immediately sat upright, glancing at each other before both walking to the door. The woman grabbed the doorknob and opened it.

"Hi," the messenger girl standing outside said. "The captain wanted me to tell you guys that something's happening at the main meeting building and wants one of you to come and weigh in on a decision."

The avian faunus patted the rabbit faunus on the back. "Have fun at the meeting. Tell them I said hi."

She glared at him. "Too troublesome for you, Roderick?"

Roderick nodded. "I need to go finish my snack anyways. Can't let food go to waste, you know. Don't worry, I'll go keep Eric company up there."

She frowned but nodded anyways. "Then I'll be going now. Don't bother him too much."

Roderick looked offended. "Me? A bother? Why, I ought to—"

The auburn-haired faunus shut the door and turned to the girl with a strained smile. She began walking, the girl falling into step beside her as they trod through the fresh snow.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Isaac doesn't usually call a meeting for trivial matters."

The messenger faunus looked at her. "Well, there's apparently a police officer at the main building that has some evidence or something. Isaac took a look through her files and immediately sent me to get you guys."

"A police officer?" The other faunus looked intrigued. "I haven't heard good things about them. I wonder what they'd want us for…"

* * *

Maia watched the man across her sift through her pile of documents and photos, his face remaining impassive despite the not-so-sanitary contents of the thick bundle.

She had gone to the central guard tower straight after her last shift had ended and asked to see the captain of the guards. Luckily, the man himself was easily accessible and willing to listen to whatever she had to say after she had handed the folder over. He had taken a single glance and immediately called a messenger to gather most of the wall guards for a meeting.

As she sat in the surprisingly comfortable chair and waited for the other guards to arrive, she took a moment to reflect upon the… home invasion, she supposed she could call it, that had occurred the two days ago. Now that a day had passed and she wasn't sleep-deprived or freezing, she was able to collect her thoughts in a more organized manner.

She had seemed calm at the time, although maybe she had been a little vicious, maybe a little too heavy handed in dealing with the prisoners. She had kept her calm façade to give Red someone stable to rely on during the violence and fire.

But in all honesty, she had been angry.  **Angry** , and more than a little  _scared_. To think that she had been attacked in her own house, that if the attackers were a little smarter they could have just set the house on fire while she was sleeping, that no help would have come due to the snowstorm…

So she had dealt with them harshly, maimed them, broken their limbs repeatedly, and a little part of her mind had been satisfied. Calmed. That sort of behavior probably wasn't healthy, she reflected, but it was most likely due to an accumulation of stress and what she had been through and seen during her time here at New Haven.

She snorted a little at the name. Some "haven" it was turning out to be.

Getting her mind back on track… ah, yes, Red. Maia had seen some of that kind of behavior in Red. A slip of tongue here or there, some extremely eccentric behavior, and a shocking propensity and even  _enthusiasm_ for violence. No, Maia wasn't dumb or deaf or willingly ignoring what was in front of her eyes. Red was dangerous, mentally unstable, probably had a criminal record, and entirely too obsessed with her.

She had to admit though that she had, in a way, taken advantage of Red. From pressuring her to join Emmett's group and participate in their activities, to having her run errands, to using her as an interrogation tool, Maia knew that she hadn't been hesitant at all to put Red to work after she had realized just how much Red would do in return for a few kind words and some hugs.

So while Red was dangerous to most of the civilian population and most likely a severe hazard to Maia's own health, Maia still let her live with her, even  _sleep_  with her in the  _same bed_. Suicidal Maia was not—she just dreaded to see what would happen if Red was denied any form of access to herself.

Besides, Red was kind of like a cute—albeit vicious—little puppy. Maia could almost see her perky ears and perpetually wagging tail whenever she eagerly asked a question or did what Maia told her to do. That kind of adoration made Maia feel a little fuzzy and warm on the inside, and while she would never admit that it might be her latent maternal instincts sluggishly stirring to life, she'd still take the opportunity to dote on Red and indulge her in whatever silliness or cuddles she wanted.

Red was ultimately just a young girl with a slew of mental issues who just needed some kindness and compassion. Or so she hoped. She knew things were never as simple as that. But if Red had made it New Haven, well, Maia had read the backgrounds of some of the settlers and it turned out that for many, New Haven was a second chance at life. And that was something she wanted to give Red a shot at.

Hopefully, Maia thought to herself, Maia's own ruthlessness hadn't already screwed up Red's chance at redemption.

* * *

Ruby waved goodbye to Vincent as she watched him and the workers head back into the settlement. Vincent raised his hand, acknowledging her, then walked through the gates, the large wooden structures closing shut behind him.

After seeing how her campsite had been demolished by the blizzard, Vincent had left her some rations despite how she had reassured him that she would be fine. The two packs of hardtack and jerky probably wouldn't last her very long, considering her appetite, but she appreciated the thought as she chewed on them while running through the forest.

The blizzard and the subsequent few feet of snow had made traveling by ground rather slow, so she was currently hopping from tree to tree. She usually wouldn't have had a problem, but the blizzard had deposited a considerable amount of snow on the branches. It wasn't too hard when there was actually a bit of daylight left, but now that the sun had set she was constantly slipping a little on landing or smashing into a branch when she misjudged the distance.

But after a few mishaps and shattered trees, she eventually got the hang of it. It wasn't as though slamming into a few trees would hurt, after all, although she did use a bit of her aura to protect herself. No matter how dull her sense of pain was, she still didn't want to show up bloodied and bruised when she got back to Maia.

In a few minutes she had arrived at her usual place and began sneaking across the snow once more. The depth of the snow had made her consider digging a tunnel underneath the fluffy whiteness, but after a few minutes of experimentation and a large amount of snow in her clothing she decided that the idea wasn't a very good one.

As she slowly made her way toward the walls, she smoothed out the snow behind her as best as she could, trying to eliminate the tracks she had left behind. She couldn't completely eliminate them, of course, but she hoped that the guards on the walls would just dismiss them as animal tracks or Grimm tracks from a distance.

Just to further muddy her trail, she doubled back to the forest, wandered a little from side to side, then ran toward the wall and did a running leap, slamming her scythe into the structure to anchor herself down and leaving no evidence of any footsteps approaching the wall and stopping.

After shimmying a little from side to side, she found the previous handholds she had made and quickly climbed up the wall, then rappelled down the other side. The ruins of Maia's previous house was still there, a pile of wood and ash, and it took Ruby a moment to orient herself and remember the direction their new house was in.

The only signs of the footsteps from the previous night were a few uneven patches in the snow, but that information along with Ruby's memory allowed her to retrace her steps to the new house she lived in.

As she jogged down what might have been a path before the blizzard, she wondered, not for the first time today, if it had been okay to not go to work because of the storm. She didn't want to disappoint Maia by losing her job again right after getting it back, and she really did need the money to repay Maia and Roxie.

Bits of light leaked through the cracks in the shutters of the house. The house itself was covered and snow and a bit dingy, but it was a sturdy structure overall and probably wouldn't collapse due to the weight of the remaining slow on the sloped roof.

Ruby walked up to the door and knocked.

"It's me," she called, hoping that Maia would recognize her voice.

She had an urge to just break the latches on the shutters and climb straight through them, but after the attacks she knew Maia was probably much more alert than she would be normally and Ruby didn't want to startle her.

"Come in," Maia responded.

Ruby smiled to herself and opened the door. She didn't know if Maia realized, but having a place to return to, having  _someone_  to return to, made her happy in so many different ways.

But the rising tensions, the… enforcers being sent to attack them at night, and the possible upcoming faction war between the faunus… those things worried her. They worried her because that meant that sweet, voluptuous  _Maia_  would be in danger, and that wouldn't do at all.

"Why are you licking your lips?"

Ruby blinked and focused back onto the present, where Maia was sitting on the couch, bundled in her blankets, as she looked up from the scroll in her hand.

"Ah, I was just thinking about  _dinner_." Ruby grinned, her sharp teeth gleaming despite the dim light from the lantern. "Kinda hungry."

Maia shrugged and went back to swiping through her tablet. "Of course you'd be." She smirked. "I'm also going to ignore the weird emphasis on that last word. Your meat's in the fridge."

"Yessss," Ruby hissed, giving herself a little fist pump. That hardtack and jerky really didn't fill her up much.

Maia rolled her eyes. "So… guess what I did today?"

Ruby took the meat out from the fridge. "Police things?" she tried. Answering Maia wasn't really a priority at the moment with the thick steaks in her hand.

"Yeah, police things," Maia answered. "More accurately, I did things about our police department. Got the wall guards on our side by convincing the captain that shady things were happening, and also realized that we really need some spices because eating bland vegetables isn't very fun."

"Err, right, spices," Ruby said in a muffled voice around a chunk of raw steak. She grabbed a frying pan out of one of the cabinets, placed it onto the stove, and turned the stove on.

Maia glared at her. "Why do I have a feeling that you wouldn't even bother to cook your food if the steak was already warm?"

"Nahhh," Ruby said, waving her hand. "It's just your imagination." She reached for the barely seared steak in the pan.

Maia cleared her throat.

"Fine, I'll use a fork or something." Ruby began rummaging through the cabinets, until she found a lone fork sitting sadly in one of the drawers. "Just for you, though," Ruby clarified, brandishing the offending utensil at Maia.

Maia sighed and wrapped herself a little more tightly in her sheets. "Alright, so did you even hear the other things I said?"

Ruby shook her head, a bit of blood spraying from the rare chunk of meat impaled upon the comparatively tiny fork.

"Was that a no, or are you just trying to eat that thing?" Maia scrunched her nose as the smell reached her. "Also, please wipe the floor after you're done eating."

Ruby mumbled a negative as her pointed teeth made short work of the meat. Maia glared at her.

"I mean, I didn't hear," Ruby hastily amended, swallowing her food. "I'll clean it up , don't worry."

"Ah," Maia said. She relented and gave her a small smile.

Ruby grinned back, relieved.

"So yeah, I talked to the wall guards today and got them and their captain onto our side. And therefore we need to get things moving quickly before the wall guards decide to take things into their own hands. A civil war in this settlement would turn extremely ugly, especially since the perpetrators could be hiding anywhere among the individual communities."

"So what can I do for you?" Ruby asked eagerly, before taking another bite.

"The same thing you did, what, four nights ago?" Maia hummed as she contemplated. "With the blizzard, most of the emergency services have probably been overburdened or overworked. Some of the roads might still be blocked up or slippery, and the police are corrupt anyways. With no one out in the streets, it's pretty much the perfect time for Emmett and the other carnivores to resume their… activities."

_Does this mean…?_ Ruby almost began salivating at the thought, but managed to rein herself in.  _Finally, something to do_ …

She mentally shook head.  _Focus_ , she told herself.  _Think about the long-term goals._

She finished off the steak and put the pan in the sink.

If she played this right, not only would she be able to enjoy herself, but she'd also be able to remove the threat to Maia's person. And in the end, Maia was a much greater prize than some paltry, random faunus who would be so much less brilliant than that gem of a rabbit faunus.

And on that note, about threats to her person…

"The wolf faunus said that Sheriff Donagh sent them after you, right?" Ruby asked.

Maia nodded.

"How was, um, your job today? No one attacked you or anything?"

Maia shook her head. "No. I'd probably be dead if they suspected that I went to get help from the wall guards, but after that attempt I think Donagh's settling for sending me a message. He probably thinks that losing more agents, attackers, whatever, by sending people after me again won't be worth it, and I'm sure he's trying to figure out other methods of disposing of me." Maia shrugged. "I'm still on good terms with some other members of the police department. Getting them to attack me would shake things up too much. Honestly, if he wanted me dead I'd probably expect him to poison me or get someone to ambush and kidnap me."

Ruby whipped her head around to stare at her, the metal handle of the frying pan squealing as Ruby tightened her grip. "That can't happen," she said plainly. "That's not  _going_  to happen. Maia, can you please reconsider going to work? You can take a few days off, right?"

Maia got up from the couch, keeping the blanket draped over her shoulders. "Calm down, Red," she said, walking sedately over to Ruby and placing her hands on Ruby's shoulders. "Don't be so worried."

Ruby blushed and stared resolutely down at the wet pan in her hands as Maia's chest pressed against her back.

"Just a few more days," Maia promised. "We don't know their locations, so we have to avoid tipping them off to anything. Convince Emmett to bring you along again, get the location of their safe house, find out about the next time they're going to meet and what they're going to hit, and then we call the wall guards down on them. Meanwhile, I'll use this time to grab more files and reports and determine who the worst offenders are and who they're associated with. How does that sound?"

Ruby nodded furiously as she wiped at the pan with a towel and set it aside before turning and plunging herself into Maia's embrace.

"Okay," she whispered. "But please, please stay safe. I don't know what I'd do without you…"

"There, there," Maia whispered, stroking her hair. Ruby felt a light shudder run through Maia's body. "I don't think I want to know what would happen either…"

* * *

**AN:**

**Thanks to Pozsich, who edited my stuff in the middle of the night and kept bugging me to write!**

**Oh man, I love you all so much. I can't believe you guys have still been reading and writing reviews! Thank you guys so much for your support.**

**I don't want to promise too much, but once again, I'm trying to improve my writing speed. It's NanoWrimo this month, and I want to get a least a few chapters done. Wish me luck!**


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